O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine: uptake mechanisms and clinical applications

Langen, Karl-Josef; Hamacher, Kurt; Weckesser, Matthias; Floeth, Frank; Stoffels, Gabriele; Bauer, Dagmar; Coenen, Heinz H.; Pauleit, Dirk

doi:10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2006.01.002

Next »Nuclear Medicine and Biology
Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 287-294, April 2006

O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine: uptake mechanisms and clinical applications

Karl-Josef Langen
- Institute of Medicine, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Corresponding reviewer. Institute of Medicine, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, FRG, Germany. Tel.: +49 2461 615900; fax: +49 2461 618261.
Kurt Hamacher
- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Matthias Weckesser
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Münster, D-48149 Münster, Germany
Frank Floeth
- Department of Neurosurgery, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
Gabriele Stoffels
- Institute of Medicine, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Dagmar Bauer
- Institute of Medicine, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Heinz H. Coenen
- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
Dirk Pauleit
- Institute of Medicine, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany
- Brain Imaging Center West, Research Center Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany

Received 30 December 2005; accepted 12 January 2006.

Abstract

O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (FET) is a promising tracer for PET that has demonstrated convincing results especially in the diagnostics of brain tumors. In contrast to other radiolabeled amino acids, it can be produced with high efficiency and distributed in a satellite concept like the widely used 2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose. Although FET is not incorporated into proteins, it shows high uptake in cerebral gliomas and in extracranial squamous cell carcinomas owing to increased transport. The tracer exhibits high in vivo stability, low uptake in inflammatory tissue and suitable uptake kinetics for clinical imaging, which indicates that it may become a new standard tracer for PET. In this article, the present knowledge on the uptake mechanisms and the clinical applications of FET are reviewed and the clinical perspectives are discussed.

Keywords: O-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine, Amino acid transport, Tumors, PET