The genetic probe labeled with positron emitter for monitoring tumor cells transfacted by herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene has been intensively studied. A useful synthetic methodology was developed to synthesize (E)-5- [2-(tributylstannyl) Gene therapy has become one of the most promising approaches for cancer treatment. The mechanism underlying the therapy starts by delivering the suicide gene into the target cells, followed by administering the prodrugs. The presence of the suicide gene in the target cells activates the prodrugs, such as nucleoside analogs, to form toxic metabolites, which then initiate the subsequent suicidal mechanism. The most intensively studied suicide gene, HSV-1 TK (herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase), can serve bi-functionally as both therapeutic and reporter genes in this system.2 Moreover, in vivo gene expression of HSV-1 TK can be successfully monitored by imaging its substrate analog, usually a nucleoside analog. After being phosphorylated by viral TK, the metabolite can be randomly incorporated into elongating DNA chains by cellular enzymes.3 The localization of this event could be traced down by using a tagged nucleoside analog. Of the most excellent candidates for in vivo studies are which radiolabeled with positron emitters owing to their higher imaging quality and quantification capacity. For example, [124 I]FIAU (pyrimidine nucleoside) and [ 18 F]FHBG (purine nucleoside) have been coupled with PET (positron emission tomography) to provide invaluable images (Scheme 1). 4,5 Recently, an investigation on bioactivity-guided screening of nucleosides as substrates for HSV-1 TK by Degrève et al. discovered two potential compounds: IaraU (5-iodoarabinosyl uridine) and IVAU {(E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)arabinosyl uridine} 1 (Scheme 2). 6 As part of our systematic syntheses of radiolabeled thymidine analogs, 7