BACKGROUND Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction may be associated with apoptosis. Caspase 3 catalyzes a terminal step in apoptosis, and its expression may serve as a marker of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We synthesized 18F-CP18, a caspase-3 substrate and evaluated cardiac 18F-CP18 uptake in a mouse model of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. METHODS AND RESULTS For 12 weeks...

The presence of the translocator protein (TSPO), previously named as the mitochondrial or peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, in bone cells was studied in vitro and in situ using RT-qPCR, and receptor autoradiography using the selective TSPO ligand PK11195.In vitro, the TSPO is highly expressed in osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells.In situ, constitutive expression of TSPO is found in bone marr...

PURPOSE Malignant tumors are capable of degrading the surrounding extracellular matrix, resulting in local invasion or metastasis. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its cell surface receptor (uPAR) are central molecules in one of the major protease systems involved in extracellular matrix degradation. Noninvasive imaging of this receptor in vivo with radiolabeled peptides that spec...

Compounds (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)FDG) and (11)C-methionine ((11)C-MET) are radiodiagnostics frequently used in clinical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) as well in preclinical studies of various pathologies. The present study was focused on the comparison of biodistribution of both radiotracers in intact Wistar rats. The animals were scanned by microPET twice. The first scanning was do...

UNLABELLED Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most important mediators of angiogenesis. Single-chain (sc)-VEGF protein containing an N-terminal Cys-tag has been designed for site-specific modification with a variety of imaging and therapeutic moieties. Site-specific labeling of scVEGF with thiol-reactive prosthetic group, N-[2-(4-(18)F-fluorobenzamido) ethyl] maleimide ([(1...

Imaging reporter gene expression in living subjects with various imaging modalities is a rapidly accelerating area of research. Applications of these technologies to cancer research, gene therapy, and transgenic models are rapidly expanding. We report construction and testing of several triple fusion reporter genes compatible with bioluminescence, fluorescence and positron emission tomography (...

The σ1 receptor is an important target for CNS disorders. We previously identified a σ1 ligand TZ3108 having highly potent (Ki-σ1 = 0.48 nM) and selective affinity for σ1 versus σ2 receptors. TZ3108 was 18F-labeled with F-18 for in vivo evaluation. Biodistribution and blocking studies of [18F]TZ3108 in male Sprague-Dawley rats demonstrated high brain uptake, which was σ1-specific with no in viv...

INTRODUCTION Developing positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers for non-invasive study of the cholinergic system is crucial to the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. Although several acetylcholinesterase (AChE) PET tracers radiolabeled with carbon-11 exist, no fluorinated radiotracer is currently used in clinical imaging studies. The purpose of the present study is to describe...