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Comment
. 2012 Mar 1;18(5):1189-91.
doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-3198. Epub 2012 Jan 24.

PET imaging of tumor growth: not as easy as it looks

Anthony F Shields  1
Affiliations
Comment

PET imaging of tumor growth: not as easy as it looks

Anthony F Shields. Clin Cancer Res. .

Abstract

Positron emission tomography can be used to image tumor proliferation when combined with appropriate labeled tracers, such as the thymidine analog [(18)F]-3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine. Although thymidine kinase 1 is the principal mechanism of cell trapping, other variables, such as the cellular level of native thymidine, may need to be considered.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
FLT and thymidine uptake and metabolism are diagrammed including the phosphorylation by thymidine kinase 1 (TK1), synthesis of thymidine by thymidylate synthase (TS), and degradation by thymidine phosphorylase (TdRPase). Thymidine, but not FLT, is incorporated by DNA polymerase. FLT is metabolized to its glucuronide in the liver and excreted by the kidney. The rate constants used in modeling of FLT uptake (K1, k2, k3, and k4) are indicated.
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Comment on

  • [(18)F]FLT-PET imaging does not always "light up" proliferating tumor cells.
    Zhang CC, Yan Z, Li W, Kuszpit K, Painter CL, Zhang Q, Lappin PB, Nichols T, Lira ME, Affolter T, Fahey NR, Cullinane C, Spilker M, Zasadny K, O'Brien P, Buckman D, Wong A, Christensen JG. Zhang CC, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Mar 1;18(5):1303-12. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-1433. Epub 2011 Dec 14. Clin Cancer Res. 2012. PMID: 22170262

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