Basic Chemistry in Radionuclide Labeling of Tumor PET Tracers
YANG Xue-Mei1, QIAO Yu-Chen2, HAO Ya-Meng1, WANG Zhipeng A3,4*, REN Peng1*
1. School of Science,Harbin Institute of Technology(Shenzhen),Shenzhen 518055,China; 2. BGI-Shenzhen,Shenzhen 518103,China; 3. Division of Genetics,Department of Medicine,Brigham and Women’s Hospital,Boston,Massachusetts 02115,United States;Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology,Harvard Medical School,Boston, Massachusetts 02115,United States; 4. Desai Sethi Urology Institute,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,Miami,FL 33136,United States
Abstract Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide,resulting in a significant medical burden.Its control depends not only on advances in treatment methods but also on the development of detection technologies.The occurrence and progression of tumors are accompanied by various changes in cellular structures and functions,as well as alterations in the tumor microenvironment.These processes involve specific molecular changes that can serve as cancer biomarkers.In recent years,positron emission tomography(PET)has been widely used to capture these molecular changes,enabling the detection of structural and functional alterations in tumors.The progress of PET technology relies on the discovery and use of various radiotracers,which are closely associated with their chemical design and synthesis.This article reviews the roles of different types of typical radioactive tracers in PET for cancer biomarker detection and provides an overview of the fundamental chemistry knowledge involved in the labelling of radioactive tracers.This not only contributes to public understanding of the application of radioactive tracers in cancer detection but also helps the public appreciate the role of basic chemistry knowledge in the development of PET radiotracers.Meanwhile,the design and synthesis process of these radioactive tracers also serve as excellent materials for basic chemistry education,contributing to the teaching of basic chemistry in life science-related disciplines.
YANG Xue-Mei, QIAO Yu-Chen, HAO Ya-Meng, WANG Zhipeng A, REN Peng. Basic Chemistry in Radionuclide Labeling of Tumor PET Tracers[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2025, 46(6): 1-10.
