The core scientific interest of this Section is to invent and implement new radioactive probes (radiopharmaceuticals) for imaging specific molecular targets (e.g. neurotransmitter receptors, transporters or enzymes) in animal and human brain with positron emission tomography (PET). These probes are vital for PET investigations of the underlying causes of neuropsychiatric illness and the mechanisms and efficacies of existing or proposed treatments.
The main activities of this Section are i) medicinal/organic chemistry aimed at the discovery and synthesis of candidate probes (usually based on small drug-like organic molecules), ii) radiochemistry for the rapid labeling of these candidates with short-lived cyclotron-produced positron-emitters (e.g., carbon-11, t1/2 = 20 min and fluorine-18, t1/2= 110 min), iii) evaluation of the efficacy of the radioactive probes in vivo, including characterization of their metabolism, and iv) the regular production of successful probes for PET experiments in animals and humans. For the evaluation of novel PET probes in animal and human subjects and for their implementation in clinical research studies, the Section interacts seamlessly with the Imaging Section of the Molecular Imaging Branch, led by Dr. Bob Innis.
In support of the main mission of PET radiotracer development, the Section also undertakes research on advancing the methodology of PET radiochemistry, and of radiometabolite measurement and identification.