Cover Image

PET Imaging of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 with a Fluorine-18 Labeled Tryptophan Radiotracer

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurocutaneous disorder. Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign tumors commonly formed in patients with NF1. PNFs have a high incidence of developing into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) with a 5-year survival rate of only 30%. Therefore, the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xuyi Yue (Author), Erik Stauff (Author), Shriya Boyapati (Author), Sigrid A. Langhans (Author), Wenqi Xu (Author), Sokratis Makrogiannis (Author), Uchenna J. Okorie (Author), Azubuike M. Okorie (Author), Vinay V. R. Kandula (Author), Heidi H. Kecskemethy (Author), Rahul M. Nikam (Author), Lauren W. Averill (Author), Thomas H. Shaffer (Author)
Format: Book
Published: MDPI AG, 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z.
Subjects:
article
Online Access:Connect to this object online.
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurocutaneous disorder. Plexiform neurofibromas (PNFs) are benign tumors commonly formed in patients with NF1. PNFs have a high incidence of developing into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) with a 5-year survival rate of only 30%. Therefore, the accurate diagnosis and differentiation of MPNSTs from benign PNFs are critical to patient management. We studied a fluorine-18 labeled tryptophan positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, 1-(2-[<sup>18</sup>F]fluoroethyl)-L-tryptophan (L-[<sup>18</sup>F]FETrp), to detect NF1-associated tumors in an animal model. An ex vivo biodistribution study of L-[<sup>18</sup>F]FETrp showed a similar tracer distribution and kinetics between the wild-type and triple mutant mice with the highest uptake in the pancreas. Bone uptake was stable. Brain uptake was low during the 90-min uptake period. Static PET imaging at 60 min post-injection showed L-[<sup>18</sup>F]FETrp had a comparable tumor uptake with [<sup>1</sup>⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). However, L-[<sup>18</sup>F]FETrp showed a significantly higher tumor-to-brain ratio than FDG (<i>n</i> = 4, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Sixty-minute-long dynamic PET scans using the two radiotracers showed similar kidney, liver, and lung kinetics. A dysregulated tryptophan metabolism in NF1 mice was further confirmed using immunohistostaining. L-[<sup>18</sup>F]FETrp is warranted to further investigate differentiating malignant NF1 tumors from benign PNFs. The study may reveal the tryptophan-kynurenine pathway as a therapeutic target for treating NF1.
Item Description:10.3390/ph17060685
1424-8247

Similar Items