Discovery of 7-[18F]fluorotryptophan as a novel PET tracer for visualizing tryptophan metabolism

Abstract

PET tracers for the visualization of tryptophan metabolic pathways can provide valuable information about various pathologies, including neurological disorders and cancer. In a preclinical evaluation of different ¹⁸F-labeled fluorotryptophans, 7-[¹⁸F]fluorotryptophan (7-[¹⁸F]FTrp) was identified as a metabolically stable radiotracer that enables a clear delineation of serotonergic brain areas as well as the melatonin-producing pineal gland in healthy rats. In addition, follow-up studies in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases demonstrated that 7-[¹⁸F]FTrp can not only visualize changes in serotonin and melatonin synthesis but also pathological alterations in the so-called kynurenine metabolic pathway. As such, this radiotracer represents a promising candidate for imaging pathological changes in tryptophan metabolism.

Zlatopolskiy, B. D.; Zischler, J.; Schäfer, D.; Urusova, E.; Guliyev, M.; Bannykh, O.; Endepols, H.; Neumaier, B.

Discovery of 7-[¹⁸F]Fluorotryptophan as a Novel Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Probe for the Visualization of Tryptophan Metabolism in Vivo

Journal of medicinal chemistry 2018, 61 (1), 189-206.

Endepols, H.; Zlatopolskiy, B.; Zischler, J.; Alavinejad, N.; Apetz, N.; Vus, S.; Drzezga, A.; Neumaier, B.

Imaging of cerebral tryptophan metabolism using 7-[18F]FTrp-PET in a unilateral Parkinsonian rat model

NeuroImage 2022, 247, 118842