Studying the biodistribution of positron emission tomography reporter probes in mice.
Positron emission tomography (PET) reporter probes (PRPs) are used to detect PET reporter gene (PRG) expression in living subjects. This article details protocols for analyzing the biodistribution of a PRP used to detect herpes simplex virus 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) or mutant HSV1-sr39tk PRG expression. However, the methods described are generalizable to other beta- or gamma/positron-emitting probes. Accumulation of PRPs in animal tissues can be determined by counting PRP activity of isolated tissues, whereas digital whole-body autoradiography (DWBA) provides high-resolution images of PRP biodistribution in 5- to 45-microm tissue slices of killed research animals at a single time point. Biodistribution assay results may be obtained in less than a week after beginning the assay, and DWBA image acquisitions can take up to 3 months depending on the probe's radioisotope.
Yaghoubi
Shahriar S
SS
Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Clark Centre, 318 Campus Drive E150, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Berger
Frank
F
Gambhir
Sanjiv S
SS
D000818:Animals; D002138:Calibration; D004583:Electrons; D051379:Mice; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012588:Scintillation Counting; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000201:enzymology*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000032:analysis*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
D014764:Viral Proteins; D013937:Thymidine Kinase