Research and clinical potential of receptor based radiopharmaceuticals.

Receptors are proteins that have specific binding affinity for substances that produce a physiological event in the body. Receptor-binding radiotracers are being used increasingly to study the function of receptors in health and disease. This review summarizes the proceedings of a symposium on research in the development of receptor-binding radiopharmaceuticals. The key phases in this research include: selection of the receptor system and ligand; synthesis of radiolabeled ligand; validation in animal models; and clinical application. Current research involves a variety of biological systems, such as butyrophenone neuroleptics for dopamine receptors and steroidal estrogens for the estrogen receptor. In the future, it is believed that receptor-binding radiopharmaceuticals will be useful, not only to validate receptor systems in vivo, but also to aid in the diagnosis and therapy of human diseases.

Duke Scholars

Author Michael Rod Zalutsky Radiology