Carbohydrate‐Based Molecules for Molecular Imaging in Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

This review covers published literature describing the synthesis of labeled carbohydrates for use in molecular imaging, with a particular focus on the use of nuclear techniques (PET, SPECT). Recent advances in the radiosynthesis of [18F]FDG (electrophilic vs. nucleophilic radiofluorinations), a PET radiotracer based on glucose and the most widely PET tracer currently in use for cancer and inflammatory disease diagnosis, is considered. The powerful impact of [18F]FDG in the clinic has prompted intensive research efforts into glucose‐based radiotracers for PET and SPECT imaging. These achievements are also reviewed, along with the use of glycopeptides for nuclear molecular imaging. Finally, recent work on the radionuclide labeling of nucleosides and glycoconjugates is discussed.

Nuclear Imaging of Glucose Metabolism: Beyond 18F-FDG

“…Because carbon is a component of biomolecules, labeling with the positron-emitting radioisotope carbon-11 ( 11 C) seems to be very attractive. Many attempts have been made to label glucose with radioisotope 11 C [60, 61]. [2- 11 C]-2-Deoxyglucose was developed as the 11 C counterpart of 18 F-FDG [62].…”

Synthesis of vicinal dideoxy-difluorinated galactoses

“…Fluorine incorporation in carbohydrates has been successfully employed for applications such as epitope mapping, [1][2][3] stabilisation of glycosidic bonds, 4 18 F imaging 5,6 and mechanism-based inhibitor design. [7][8][9] New 19 F NMR based developments allow for detailed study of protein-carbohydrate interactions.…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Fluoro‐glycosylated Porphyrins that can be Utilized as Theranostic Agents

“…In this regard, 2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy glucose (FDG) is a glucose derivative, where the hydroxyl group at the second carbon has been replaced by a fluorine and, owing to the absence of the C2‐hydroxyl, FDG cannot be metabolized in the same manner as glucose and is thereby trapped in the cell . 2‐[18F]Fluoro‐2‐deoxy glucose ([18F]FDG) is also, by far, the most widely employed radiotracer and is routinely used for PET imaging at clinics in both oncology and neurology . Hence, conjugation of this glucose derivative to porphyrins might render dual modes, metabolic trapping, and PET imaging to porphyrin‐based theranostic agents.…”