"Prodrug" strategies applied to new generation pet imaging agent

正电子发射断层扫描（PET）是一种强大的核成像技术，可以对生理和生化过程进行功能、定量、动力学和断层成像（3D）可视化。该技术依赖于注射放射性药物探针，该探针被设计用于与在疾病过程中起重要作用的特定生物分子相互作用（这些生物分子被称为生物标志物）。可视化特定生物标志物的存在和功能的能力可以为科学家和医生提供诊断、表征、分期和治疗疾病的重要信息。鉴于分子生物学家最近在识别新的生物标志物方面取得的进展，加上世界上医用同位素的短缺，现在对新一代PET显像剂的开发有很高的需求。

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful nuclear-based imaging technique that allows the functional, quantitative, kinetic and tomographic (3D) visualization of physiological and biochemical processes. The technique relies on the injection of a radiopharmaceutical probe that is designed to interact with a specific biomolecule identified to play an important role in a disease process (these biomolecules are known as biomarkers). The ability to visualize the presence and function of a specific biomarker can provide scientists and physicians with information vital for the diagnosing, characterization, staging, and treatment of that disease. Given the recent progress made by molecular biologists in identifying new biomarkers coupled with the world shortage of medical isotopes, a high demand now exists for the development of new generation PET imaging agents.