(18)F-labelled cardiac PET tracers: selected probes for the molecular imaging of transporters, receptors and proteases.
Designated radiopharmaceuticals labelled with the prominent positron-emitter (18)F can be defined as molecular imaging probes for the examination of cardiovascular diseases at the cellular and subcellular level. Such molecular imaging agents representing radioindicators or radiotracers offer the opportunity to non-invasively trace their path and fate in the living organism by the scintigraphic technique, positron emission tomography (PET). The glucose analogue [(18)F]FDG is a widespread PET tracer and one of the earliest examples of a PET molecular imaging probe feasible to in vivo visualise glucose utilisation by a metabolic trapping mechanism. This short review is focussed on selected established (18)F-labelled PET tracers as well as (18)F-labelled radioligands in development that show the potential of being probes for the in vivo molecular imaging of proteins relevant in cardiovascular diseases such as receptors (i.e. beta-Adrenoceptors), transporters (i.e. NET and VMAT) and proteases (i.e. MMPs).
Kopka
Klaus
K
Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, 48149, Münster, Germany. kopka@uni-muenster.de
Schober
Otmar
O
Wagner
Stefan
S
D000818:Animals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D008024:Ligands; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases