One-step synthesis of an <sup>18</sup>F-labeled boron-derived methionine analog: a substitute for <sup>11</sup>C-methionine?

Liu, Zhen; Ehlerding, Emily B; Cai, Weibo; Lan, Xiaoli · Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging · 2018

editorial · Level V

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Abstract

Amino acid-based tracers have been extensively investigated for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of brain tumors, and <sup>11</sup>C-methionine (<sup>11</sup>C-MET) is one of the most extensively investigated. However, widespread clinical use of <sup>11</sup>C-MET is challenging due to the short half-life of <sup>11</sup>C and low radiolabeling yield. In this issue of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Yang and colleagues report an <sup>18</sup>F-labeled boron-derived methionine analog, <sup>18</sup>F-B-MET, as a potential substitute for <sup>11</sup>C-MET in PET imaging of glioma. The push-button synthesis, highly efficient radiolabeling, and good imaging performance in glioma models make this tracer a promising candidate for future clinical translation.

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