• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.77-81
• /
• 2014

Hyaluronic acid is a disaccharide polymer that consists of glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine, and is a glycosaminoglycan. It is widely distributed in animal connective tissue, coexisting with chondroitin sulfate. It forms viscous secretions or gel by bonding to protein in the body, and thus maintains and lubricates tissue structures. In addition, its antibiotic properties are applied to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, it has recently been an object of great interest at cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. $^{125}I$ has a longer half-life (59.4 days) than many other radioisotopes, and is therefore useful to long-term studies. In this study, a facile and efficient procedure for the synthesis of $^{125}I$-labeled hyaluronic acid has been designed for in vivo imaging and pharmacokinetic studies of hyaluronic acid, which are required for the development of new drugs.