Metabolism of Innovative PET Tracers

PET (positron emission tomography)-tracers are molecules that are combined with radioactive isotopes. They play an important role in medicine imaging techniques by producing a three-dimensional image or map of functional processes in the body. These radiopharmaca, which are accumulated in certain areas of the body, give information about the metabolism of cells. Out of wide range of radiopharmaca, three tracers which can be used in psychiatry to elucidate neurological questions, were investigated. The purpose of this thesis was to find out which of these three radiopharmaca is suitable for ongoing field studies. An important issue of tracers is the stability against metabolic degradation by enzymes. Therefore the author analyzed the increase of metabolite and the decrease of the tracer at different time points of the enzyme kinetic, by using RP-HPLC. For the kinetic carboxyl-esterase was used. The book describes how an analytical method for RP-HPLC was created and summarizes the results concerning the stability of three innovative PET-tracers. The book addresses technicians working in the wide spectre of PET imaging and scientists doing drug research for nuclear medicine purposes.