• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.3-8
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• 2022

Alteration of the mGluR5 density is closely related to various brain diseases including schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, mGluR5 is considered as a valuable imaging biomarker for brain disease and many radiopharmaceuticals have been developed so far. Among them, [¹⁸F]FPEB has favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics, and this is the most frequently used radiopharmaceutical for preclinical and clinical studies. In the present study, we want to introduce the optimized radiosynthetic method for the routine production of [¹⁸F]FPEB using a GE TRACERlabTM FXFN pro module. In addition, the entire process was monitored with a webcam to solve the problems arising from the synthetic process. As a result, [¹⁸F]FPEB was prepared by nucleophilic substitution from its nitro- precursor at 120℃ for 20 min in dimethyl sulfoxide. Radiochemical yield was 13.7 ± 5.1% (decay-corrected, n = 91) with the molar activity of 84 ± 17 GBq/µmol at the end of synthesis. The radiochemical purity was determined to be above 96%. The manufactured [¹⁸F]FPEB injection for quality controls were carried out in accordance with an KIRAMS approved protocol, as per ICH and USP guidelines.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2022

[¹⁸F]FDG is known as the most widely used radiopharmaceutical in the imaging field of nuclear medicine worldwide. With the introduction of PET equipment, the demand for [¹⁸F]FDG has increased and the production volume has also increased. However, in order to increase production, the use of ¹⁸F radioisotope must be increased or [¹⁸F]FDG must be synthesized in high yield. Therefore, in order to meet the high yield and purity of radiopharmaceuticals, a radiopharmaceutical automatic synthesizer was required. As the use of [¹⁸F]FDG increased, automated synthesizer manufacturers supplied various types of radiopharmaceutical automated synthesizers to the market. In this study, we developed a commercialized [¹⁸F]FDG radiopharmaceutical automatic synthesizer (sCUBE FDG) using a disposable cassette type that complies with GMP developed by FutureChem, a leading radiopharmaceutical company. We used sCUBE FDG to verify the production process, radiopharmaceutical's quality (radiochemical purity, etc.), and radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]FDG. As a result of optimizing the automatic synthesis process and synthesizing a total of 30 times, the production time was 35 ± 3 minutes and the average production yield was 65.6%.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2016

Molecular imaging with the radiolabeled RGD peptides for ${\alpha}_v{\beta}_3$ integrin has been an increasing interest for tumor diagnosis and the treatment monitoring. Recently, $^{64}Cu$-NODAGA-gluco-E[c(RGDfK)]$_2$ was developed for quantification of ${\alpha}_v{\beta}_3$ integrin and its biological properties was elucidated. To better understand the molecular process in vivo, we performed the kinetic analysis for the $^{64}Cu$-NODAGA-gluco-E[c(RGDfK)]$_2$. After preparation of a radiotracer, dynamic PET images were obtained in the U87MG xenograft mice for 60 min (n = 6). Binding potential values were estimated from the 3-tissue compartment model, reference Logan and simplified reference tissue model. In the early time frame (0-20 min), the liver, kidney, intestine, urinary bladder and tumor were visualized but these uptakes were diminished as time went by. The tumors showed a good contrast at 40 min after administration. $^{64}Cu$-NODAGA-gluco-E[c(RGDfK)]$_2$ showed the 2-fold uptake in the tumor compared with that in the muscle. The parametric maps for binding values also provide the higher tumor-to-background contrast than the static images. A binding value obtained from the 3-tissue compartment model was comparable to other modeling methods. From these results, we conclude that $^{64}Cu$-NODAGA-gluco-E[c(RGDfK)]$_2$ may be a promising PET radiotracer for the evaluation of angiogenesis.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.185-191
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• 2008

While indirect targeting strategies using reporter-genes are taking center stage in current molecular imaging research, another vital strategy has long involved direct imaging of specific receptors using radiolabeled ligands. Recently, there is renewal of immense interest in this area with particular attention to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane glycoprotein critically involved in the regulation of many cellular functions and malignancies. Recently, two novel classes of EGFR-targeting anticancer drugs have entered clinical trials with great expectations. These are monoclonal antibodies such as cetuximab that target the extracellular domain, and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib (lressa) and erlotinib (Tarceva) that target the catalytic domain of the receptor. However, early results have showed disappointing survival benefits, disclosing a major challenge for this therapeutic strategy; namely, the need to identify tumors that are most likely to respond to the agents. To address this important clinical issue, several noninvasive imaging techniques are under investigation including radiolabeled probes based on small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anti-EGFR antibodies, and EGF peptides. This review describes the current status, limitations, and future prospects in the development of radiotracer methods for EGFR imaging.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.46-55
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• 2007

The convergence of molecular and genetic disciplines with non-invasive imaging technologies has provided an opportunity for earlier detection of disease processes which begin with molecular and cellular abnormalities. This emerging field, known as molecular imaging, is a relatively new discipline that has been rapidly developed over the past decade. It endeavors to construct a visual representation, characterization, and quantification of biological processes at the molecular and cellular level within living organisms. One of the goals of molecular imaging is to translate our expanding knowledge of molecular biology and genomic sciences into good patient care. The practice of molecular imaging is still largely experimental, and only limited clinical success has been achieved. However, it is anticipated that molecular imaging will move increasingly out of the research laboratory and into the clinic over the next decade. Non-invasive in vivo molecular imaging makes use of nuclear, magnetic resonance, and in vivo optical imaging systems. Recently, an interest in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has been revived, and along with optical imaging systems PET is assuming new, important roles in molecular genetic imaging studies. Current PET molecular imaging strategies mostly rely on the detection of probe accumulation directly related to the physiology or the level of reporter gene expression. PET imaging of both endogenous and exogenous gene expression can be achieved in animals using reporter constructs and radio-labeled probes. As increasing numbers of genetic markers become available for imaging targets, it is anticipated that a better understanding of genomics will contribute to the advancement of the molecular genetic imaging field. In this report, the principles of non-invasive molecular genetic imaging, its applications and future directions are discussed.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-115
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• 2017

Since the nitrile group is commonly found in natural products and bioactive molecules, many scientists' interest has been focused on the usage of nitrile group. Novel reactions for $^{11}C-labelling$ using nitrile group have been developed, and novel preparation protocols of biomolecules labeled with $^{11}C$ have been studied. In this highlight review, recent researches for the novel labeling reactions using nitrile group are illustrated.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.22-25
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• 2018

Radiopharmaceuticals are used for diagnosis or therapy of diseases. According to the recent consensus nomenclature rules for radiopharmaceutical chemistry, specific activity is defined as the radioactivity per gram of radiolabeled compound and molar activity as the radioactivity per mole of radiolabeled compound. In this review, molar activity of radiopharmaceuticals is discussed in terms of its significance in nuclear imaging as well as its measurement methods.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.106-114
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• 2018

Angiogenesis is the new blood vessel formation process and has known to a fundamental event of tumor growth and metastasis. Especially, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) are the crucial regulators of angiogenesis in tumor. VEGF-A is one of the VEGF family and binds to endothelial cell specific VEGFR1 and VEGFR2, which are associated with tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis. $VEGF_{121}$ is more tumorigenic isomer of VEGF-A. Targeted VEGF or VEGFR molecular imaging has been widely used to enable diagnosis and monitoring of proliferation and development of angiogenic tumors. Therefore, in this review, we have focused on the radioligands with $VEGF_{121}$ for angiogenesis of tumor.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2022

Translocator protein (TSPO) is associated with neurodegeneration diseases, and the development of potent ligands with high affinity to TSPO was valuable study for many scientists. Specially, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine moiety has been employed for development of new TSPO ligands with good properties. In this highlight review, the development of [¹⁸F]F-DPA as a promising TSPO ligand as PET tracer is described.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-128
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• 2022

2-Dimensional inorganic nanoparticles with high surface area and ion-exchangeable properties have been continuously growing based on nanotechnology in the field of nanomedicine. Among one of the 2-D nanoparticles, layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been intensively explored as drug delivery due to its low toxicity, enhanced cellular permeability, and high drug loading capacity. Moreover, controllable chemical composition makes possible varying isomorphic layered materials for therapy and imaging of diseases. In this review, specific structural characteristics of LDH were introduced, and its potential for application as a biocompatible therapeutic agent and diagnostic one was addressed in nuclear medicine, one of promising fields in nanomedicine.