[18F]-4-amino-2-fluorobenzoic acid

`[18F]-4-amino-2-fluorobenzoic acid` (also known as `[18F]FPABA` or `[18F]F-PABA`) is a fluorine-18 labeled radiopharmaceutical developed as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging tracer for the noninvasive detection and localization of deep-seated bacterial infections, such as prosthetic joint infections and osteomyelitis. It is a fluorinated analog of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), an essential precursor in the bacterial folate biosynthesis pathway. Because human cells do not synthesize folate and lack the target enzyme dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), the tracer is selectively taken up and accumulated by bacteria (including *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Escherichia coli*), allowing for the differentiation of active bacterial infection from sterile inflammation. The tracer is being preclinically developed by Chronus Pharmaceuticals in collaboration with Stony Brook University.

Other names

[18F]F-PABA[18F]FPABA2-[18F]F-p-aminobenzoic acid2-[18F]fluoro-4-aminobenzoic acid