Development of LAT1-specific 18F amino acid PET tracers for the discrimination between low and high grade glioma

The use of O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) as a tumor PET tracer has several limitations including the relatively low affinity for the L-type amino acid transporter (LAT1).

Aim: Synthesis of [18F]-fluoroalkylated phenylalanine analogues with higher affinity for the LAT1 transporter. A LAT1 specific amino acid PET tracer would
allow grading between low and high grade glioma and result in a faster detection of tumor progression.

Researcher: Jeroen Verhoeven