Our center provides advanced radiochemistry capabilities that can be applied to a wide range of research questions. The center includes labs, a cyclotron for radionuclide production, five cleanrooms for GMP-level synthesis of diagnostic agents for basic research, translational imaging and personalized medicine, all housed within a state-of-the-art facility. Our radiochemists are available to consult with scientists on and off campus who are looking to use these capabilities to further their research.  

List of services

• Cyclotron production of short-lived radionuclides: ¹¹C, ¹³N, ¹⁵O,
  ¹⁸F, ⁸⁹Zr and more
• Precursors for introducing these radionuclides into larger
  molecules
• Production of cGMP quality imaging agents for human and animal
  use
• Quality control assays using GC-MS and HPLC-MS
• Metabolite assays using HPLC with radioactivity, UV and MS
  detection
• PET imaging data analysis. 
  CRR provides a suite of image-analysis workstations
• Kinetic modeling of dynamic PET studies
• INDs and regulatory support for imaging agents
• Labeling of small molecules as well as peptides and proteins

Currently available imaging agents

• ¹³N-ammonia for perfusion imaging
• ¹⁵O-water for measuring blood flow
• ¹⁸F-fluorothymidine, a thymidine analog for measuring cellular proliferation
• ¹⁸F-fluoromisonidazole for imaging tissue hypoxia
• ¹⁸F-fluoroestradial for measure estrogen receptor density in breast cancer
• ¹⁸F-fluoride- bone uptake
• ¹¹C-meta-hydroxyephedrine, a norepinephrine analog for measuring NE reuptake (pre-synaptic function of the cardiac sympathetic nervous system, SNS)
• ¹¹C-CGP12177, a beta receptor antagonist to measure post-synaptic SNS function
• ¹¹C-verapamil for measure P-glycoprotein activity
• ¹¹C-rosuvastatin organic cation transporter
• ¹¹C-acetate for imaging fatty acid metabolism
• ¹¹C-flumazenil for imaging gabaergic receptors
• ¹¹C and 18F agents for imaging TSPO
• ¹¹C-quinuclidinyl benzyiate for imaging muscarinic receptors
• ¹¹C-nicotine –to assess nicotine
  absorption
• ¹¹C-glucose –to assess glucose
  metabolism (also ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose analog)
• ¹¹C-tetrabenazine –monoamine
  transport brain
• ¹¹C-PBR28 –bind TSPO for
  inflammation imaging
• Multiple imaging agents for the dopaminergic and seritonergic system

Additional imaging agents may be available by request. Please contact us for a consultation.