Radiolabeled Sugars Used for PET and SPECT Imaging

There are new efforts to develop "sugar" probes for molecular imaging focusing on human clinical studies. Radiolabeled carbohydrates are used as substrate probes for studying specific processes in tissues and organisms. The best application case is 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG), which is incorporated by cancer cells. The introduction of ltF-FDG has advanced enormously human Positron Emission Tomography (PET). This review focuses on the importance of 18FFDG and other sugars as imaging probes in PET and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. In conclusion, new radiolabeled molecules that can be used as radiopharmaceuticals also would possibly help in the treatment of cancer cells in human patients.