• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2021

Fluorine-18 is by far the most widely exploited radionuclide in PET (positron emission tomography) radiochemistry. The physical half-life of fluorine-18 allows for chemical manipulation within a restricted timeframe, and cyclotron-produced fluoride ion has been widely applied in aliphatic and aromatic nucleophilic radiofluorinations to produce a variety of established radiotracers. Radiotracers have become more structurally complicated to address diverse targets in physiobiological systems. There is therefore an unmet need to complement traditional C-¹⁸F bond-forming radiofluorination with new and efficient radiolabeling techniques to tackle the myriad of possible chemical environments. This review discusses recent advances in organometallic fluorine-18 bond creation in ¹⁸F-radiochemistry. Although not widely employed, new radiolabeling strategies for constructing boron-¹⁸F, silicon-¹⁸F, aluminum-¹⁸F, and other metal-¹⁸F bonds are described in view of their potential use in the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2021

This article provides an efficient ¹⁸F-labeling protocol based on a rapid condensation reaction between 2-cyanobenzothiazole (CBT) and N-terminal cysteine-containing biomolecules. The ¹⁸F-labeled CBT (¹⁸F-1) was prepared by radiofluorination of the tosylated precursor 4 with 18-crown-6/K+/[¹⁸F]F- complex. Using the purified ¹⁸F-1, ¹⁸F-labeled peptide (¹⁸F-7) and protein (¹⁸F-8) could be synthesized efficiently under mild conditions. This strategy would provide a convenient approach for rapid and site-specific ¹⁸F-labeling of various peptides and proteins for in vivo imaging and biomedical applications.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1162-1164
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• 2000

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2024

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) stands at the forefront of cancer treatment, offering a pioneering approach to enhance the rate of recovery for patients who show noncompliance to conventional therapies. The ¹⁸F labeling of BNCT tracers signifies a groundbreaking leap in molecular imaging. Hence, the aim of this brief review is to outline the radiofluorination strategies utilized for BNCT tracers. Radiofluorination of L-BPA, a ligand of L-type amino acids, can be carried out via electrophilic as well as nucleophilic substitution reactions. It's solubility can be elevated by complexing it with fructose to form BPA-fructose complex, followed by radiolabeling with ¹⁸F. In addition to electrophilic and nucleophilic radiofluorination, we have briefly presented the radiofluoro exchange method, which is applicable for amino acids having trifluoroborate groups, i.e., FBY (fluoroboronotyrosine), featuring both imaging and therapeutic functionalities. Furthermore, this review offers an inclusive array of radiofluorination strategies employed for other BNCT tracers, including o-carborane and fenbufen boronopinacol.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.3-14
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• 2017

Nucleophilic aromatic fluorination has been one of the most explored methods in fluorin-18 based radiochemistry. Unlike electrophilic $[^{18}F]$fluorination methods, no-carrier-added nucleophilic radiofluorination with cyclotron-produced $[^{18}F]$fluoride ion offers better specific radioactivity which is essential aspect to obtain good quality images from positron emission tomography. Contrary to amenable aliphatic radiofluorination, the development of reliable aromatic $[^{18}F]$fluorination methods has been pursued by many research groups; however, no viable method has yet been established. Recently, hypervalent iodine compound draws increasing attention as versatile radiolabeling precursor for various $[^{18}F]$fluoroarenes, since it bears the capacity to introduce fluorine-18 either on electron-deficient or electron-rich aryl ring with enhanced regiospecificity. Other classes of hypervalent iodine congeners often utilized in radiochemistry are iodylarenes, iodonium ylides, and spirocyclic iodonium ylides. Recently developed spirocyclic iodonium ylides have already been avidly employed to provide various $[^{18}F]$aryl fluorides with high labeling efficiency. This metal-free protocol would afford efficient routes, replacing the traditional approaches to $[^{18}F]$fluoroarenes, from prosthetic labeling synthons to complex PET radiotracers.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2015

$^{18}F$-labeling reaction of bioactive molecule via click chemistry is widely used to produce $^{18}F$-labeled radiotracer in the field of radiopharmaceutical science and molecular imaging. In particular, bioorthogonal strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) reaction has received much attention as an alternative ligation method for radiolabeling bioactive molecules such as peptides, DNA, proteins as well as nanoparticles. Moreover, SPAAC based pretargeting method could provide tumor images successfully on positron emission tomography system using nanoparticle such as mesoporous silica nanoparticles.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2024

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer. Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an effective target for the detection, staging and monitor the response of therapy in the management of PCa. In this study, we aimed to develop a ¹⁸F-labeled PSMA-PET tracer ([¹⁸F]AlF-ND-GUL) and test its feasibility for targeting PCa. A variety of labeling conditions was tested for optimization to achieve maximum radiolabeling efficiency. To test the imaging capacity of [¹⁸F]AlF-ND-GUL, in vivo PET/MR images were performed in 22Rv1 tumor bearing BALB/c nude mice after injection of radiotracer. Optimized labeling condition was to dissolve 300 nmol of precursor (ND-GUL) in buffer (pH 4, 0.1 M, NaOAc-HOAc) and react with [¹⁸F]AlF at 110℃ for 30 min. The [¹⁸F]AlF-ND-GUL maintained stability of >85% over 4 h. In-vivo molecular PET/MR imaging study results clearly showed high tumor uptake of [¹⁸F]AlF-ND-GUL over time. In conclusion, we optimized [¹⁸F]AlF-ND-GUL labeling conditions for PCa diagnosis and confirmed PSMA specific binding in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.261-268
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• 2023

[¹⁸F]Fluorocholine is a radiopharmaceutical used non-invasively in positron emission tomography to diagnose parathyroid adenoma, prostate cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma by evaluating the choline metabolism. In this study, a radiolabeling method for [¹⁸F]fluorocholine was optimized using a solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. [¹⁸F]Fluorocholine was labeled in two steps using an automated synthesizer. In the first step, dibromomethane was reacted with [¹⁸F]KF/K2.2.2/K₂CO₃ to obtain the intermediate [¹⁸F]fluorobromomethane. In the second step, [¹⁸F]fluorobromomethane was passed through a Sep-Pak^Ⓡ Silica SPE cartridge to remove the impurities and then reacted with N,N-dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) in a Sep-Pak^Ⓡ C18 SPE cartridge to label [¹⁸F]fluorocholine. The reaction conditions of [¹⁸F]fluorocholine were optimized. The synthesis yield was confirmed according to the number of silica cartridges and DMAE concentration. No statistically significant difference in the synthesis yield of [¹⁸F]fluorocholine was observed when using four or three silica cartridges (P>0.05). The labeling yield was 11.5±0.5% (N=4) when DMAE was used as its original solution. On the other hand, when diluted to 10% with dimethyl sulfoxide, the radiochemical yield increased significantly to 30.1±5.2% (N=20). In conclusion, [¹⁸F]Fluorocholine for clinical use can be synthesized stably in high yield by applying an optimized synthesis method.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2010

Clotrimazole [1-{(2-chlorophenyl)-diphenylmethyl}-1H-imidazole, CLT] has been reported to inhibit the proliferation of vascular endothelial and act as an in vitro anti-VEGF drug. It is also shown to inhibit angiogenesis in an animal model. The radioisotope labeled clotrimazole derivative can be utilized to monitor the physiologic processes of cancer. In this study, we synthesized [$^{18}F$]fluoride labeled clotrimazole derivatives as a new tumor imaging agent for PET. The references were prepared by a refluxing with clotrimazole and an excess of fluoroalkyltosylate in acetonitrile for 36 h and clotrimazole reacted with ditosylalkane to give precursors. [$^{18}F$]Fluoride labeled reaction was performed with precursor in Kryptofix[2.2.2]/$K_2CO_3$ for 10 min at $80^{\circ}C$. The radiolabeling mixture was passed through a silica Sep-Pak cartridge to remove $^{18}F^-$. The [$^{18}F$]F-clotrimazole derivatives were synthesized with a 20~25% yield. In the radiofluorination step, we used acetonitrile and DMSO as a solvent and observed a higher yield at the acetonitrile (25%) reaction compared with the DMSO reaction (5%).

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2007

GABA is primary an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is localized in inhibitory interneurons. GABA is released from presynaptic terminals and functions by binding to GABA receptors. There are two types of GABA receptors, $GABA_{A}-receptor$ that allows chloride to pass through a ligand gated ion channel and $GABA_{B}-receptor$ that uses G-proteins for signaling. The $GABA_{A}$-receptor has a GABA binding site as well as a benzodiazepine binding sites, which modulate $GABA_{A}$-receptor function. Benzodiazepine GABAA receptor imaging can be accomplished by radiolabeling derivates that activates benzodiazepine binding sites. There has been much research on flumazenil (FMZ) labeled with $^{11}C-FMZ$, a benzodiazepine derivate that is a selective, reversible antagonist to GABAA receptors. Recently, $^{18}F-fluoroflumazenil$ (FFMZ) has been developed to overcome $^{11}C's$ short half-life. $^{18}F-FFMZ$ shows high selective affinity and good pharmacodynamics, and is a promising PET agent with better central benzodiazepine receptor imaging capabilities. In an epileptic focus, because the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor amount is decreased, using $^{11}C-FMZ$ PET instead of $^{18}F-FDG$ PET, restrict the foci better and may also help find lesions better than high resolution MR. $GABA_{A}$ receptors are widely distributed in the cerebral cortex, and can be used as an viable neuronal marker. Therefore it can be used as a neuronal cell viability marker in cerebral ischemia. Also, GABA-receptors decrease in areas where neuronal plasticity develops, therefore, $GAB_{A}$ imaging can be used to evaluate plasticity. Besides these usages, GABA receptors are related with psychological diseases, especially depression and schizophrenia as well as cerebral palsy, a motor-related disorder, so further in-depth studies are needed for these areas.