O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine

O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-Tyrosine, commonly known as 18F-FET, is a radiolabeled synthetic amino acid used as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging tracer. Labeled with the radioactive isotope fluorine‑18, it is primarily utilized in neuro-oncology for diagnosing, treatment planning, and monitoring of brain tumors such as gliomas. The compound is actively transported into tumor cells via the L-type amino acid transporter system but is not incorporated into proteins or readily degraded. This results in high intracellular concentrations within tumor cells and enables detailed metabolic imaging of tumors. Compared to standard PET tracers like 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), which can be less sensitive for brain tumors due to high background uptake in normal brain tissue, 18F-FET offers improved specificity for detecting malignant lesions and distinguishing them from inflammatory tissue[1][2][10]. It has also shown selective uptake in squamous cell carcinomas outside the central nervous system[6]. The agent's favorable pharmacokinetics and stability make it suitable for clinical use in PET imaging.

Brand names

Pixclara

Other names

O-(2-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine F-18178433-03-91326R5J1IAl-(18F)FETO-(2-Fluorethyl)-l-thyrosine