Dual isotope labeled Alanines as imaging agents for chronic diseases detection

Background

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive, functional imaging technique that is used to monitor metabolic processes and diagnose diseases including cancer and bacterial infections. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the most commonly used radiotracer for PET imaging, but its lack of specificity makes differentiating between infection and inflammatory diseases difficult. Recently, radiolabeled amino acids have emerged as an effective class of PET imaging agents, particularly for cancer detection. However, radiotracers which can differentiate between infection and inflammation are needed, while also addressing persisting issues of low radiochemical yield and metabolic stability.

Technology

Stony Brook University researchers have synthesized and examined deuterium and fluorine-18 labeled L-alanine (L-[18F]FAla-d3) and D-alanine (D-[18F]FAla-d3) as novel PET tracers for detecting chronic diseases. Unlike FDG, D-[18F]FAla-d3 is taken up only by bacterial cells which makes it specific for diagnosing infection. L-[18F]FAla-d3 takes advantage of the overuse of L-alanine in cancer to provide a new cancer imaging agent. The inventors have also identified novel chemical synthesis methods for high radiochemical yields of these radiotracers. Given the specificity of D-[18F]FAla-d3 to differentiate between the bacterial infection from sterile inflammation, coupled with high yield synthesis methods to produce the tracers, this technology offers an excellent tool in the space of bacterial infections and cancer diagnostics.