The use of radioisotopes to label organic compounds for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine is well documented in the literature. It has been found that certain radiolabeled compounds will localize in the brain, heart, or in other target organs or tissues to a sufficient level to allow for imaging thereof. Binding sites for certain drugs in an animal or organ may be localized as a result of the synthesis of high specific activity radiolabeled analogs which have high affinity for that binding site. Prosthetic groups may be attached to a drug or other receptor ligand for the purpose of efficient and selective chemical capture of a particular radioisotope. Having developed functionalized congeners of theophylline and other drugs acting at adenosine receptors, we are now developing prosthetic groups for radioisotopes such as 18-F, 123-I, and 125-I, to be coupled to these functionalized drug molecules. The prosthetic groups contain amino or carboxylic groups which are to be condensed covalently to functionalized drugs to give conjugates of high affinity at a particular receptor, or drugs that bind the label irreversibly (trifunctional reagents). An approach for reversible labeling of A2A adenosine receptors has been developed. An iodinated radioligand containing the 4-hydroxy-3- iodophenylethyl group was found to have nonmolar affinity for this receptor subtype. The A2A receptor is important in Parkinson's disease and Hungtington's diseases.
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