title: Research and clinical potential of receptor based radiopharmaceuticals.
abstract: Receptors are proteins that have specific binding affinity for substances that produce a physiological event in the body. Receptor-binding radiotracers are being used increasingly to study the function of receptors in health and disease. This review summarizes the proceedings of a symposium on research in the development of receptor-binding radiopharmaceuticals. The key phases in this research include: selection of the receptor system and ligand; synthesis of radiolabeled ligand; validation in animal models; and clinical application. Current research involves a variety of biological systems, such as butyrophenone neuroleptics for dopamine receptors and steroidal estrogens for the estrogen receptor. In the future, it is believed that receptor-binding radiopharmaceuticals will be useful, not only to validate receptor systems in vivo, but also to aid in the diagnosis and therapy of human diseases.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kilbourn
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zalutsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005461:Fluorine; D006801:Humans; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005461:Fluorine