Ultrasensitive detection of malignant melanoma using PET molecular imaging probes
Ayoung Pyo, Dong‐Yeon Kim, Hee-Jung Kim, Daejin Lim, Seong Young Kwon, Sae‐Ryung Kang, Hyunjung Kim, Hee‐Seung Bom, Jung‐Joon Min
Abstract
Significance With the emergence of new therapeutic modalities, the diagnosis of melanoma at the earliest practicable stage has become more important for improving the survival of patients. We developed a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe, N -(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-5-[ 18 F]fluoropicolinamide ([ 18 F]DMPY2) and evaluated diagnostic performance in animal models. [ 18 F]DMPY2 PET exhibited excellent performance in detecting primary and metastatic melanomas, demonstrating strong/prolonged tumoral uptake and rapid background clearance. This suggests that this radiotracer could be used as a novel PET imaging agent to obtain outstanding image quality in the diagnosis of melanoma. This is the pioneering report of pyridine-based benzamide derivative with reduced alkyl chains in the amine residue and ultrasensitive detection of melanoma lesions in living subjects compared to conventional PET imaging agents.