Simplified and accessible [¹⁸F]F‐AraG synthesis procedure for preclinical PET

Abstract

The PET tracer [18F]F‐AraG, an arabinosyl guanine analog, has shown promise for visualizing activated T cells in multiple diseases. Herein, a practitioner's protocol is described, in which the PET tracer is prepared using minimal equipment and manual actions, making it widely accessible for preclinical applications.

An improved radiosynthesis of [18F]FAraG, a PET radiotracer for imaging T‐cell activation

“…Over a decade ago, Namavari et al reported the synthesis of 2′‐deoxy‐2′‐[ 18 F]fluoro‐9‐β‐ d ‐arabinofuranosylguanine ([ 18 F]FAraG) as a novel radiotracer for imaging T‐cell activation with positron emission tomography (PET) 1 . In the years that have followed, there have been reports of the radiotracer being used, 2–7 but no further report on substantive modifications to the radiotracer synthesis except for some mention of radiochemical yields and purities and a recent publication using solid phase extraction (SPE) for preclinical studies 8 …”

“…1 In the years that have followed, there have been reports of the radiotracer being used, [2][3][4][5][6][7] but no further report on substantive modifications to the radiotracer synthesis except for some mention of radiochemical yields and purities and a recent publication using solid phase extraction (SPE) for preclinical studies. 8 This report describes an improved radiochemical synthesis of [ 18 F]FAraG with full cGMP-compliant quality control (QC) specifications and results. This procedure is suitable for human PET studies.…”

“… 1 In the years that have followed, there have been reports of the radiotracer being used, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 but no further report on substantive modifications to the radiotracer synthesis except for some mention of radiochemical yields and purities and a recent publication using solid phase extraction (SPE) for preclinical studies. 8 …”