Research ArticleBasic Science Investigation

S-11C-Methyl-L-Cysteine: A New Amino Acid PET Tracer for Cancer Imaging

Huaifu Deng, Xiaolan Tang, Hongliang Wang, Ganghua Tang, Fuhua Wen, Xinchong Shi, Chang Yi, Kening Wu and Quanfei Meng
Journal of Nuclear Medicine February 2011, 52 (2) 287-293; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.110.081349

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • FIGURE 1.
    FIGURE 1.

    Radiosynthesis of 11C-MCYS by on-column 11C-methylation of L-cysteine.

  • FIGURE 2.
    FIGURE 2.

    Typical high-performance liquid chromatograms of 11C-MCYS and standard coinjection: radioactive chromatogram of 11C-MCYS (A) and ultraviolet chromatogram of standard MCYS (B).

  • FIGURE 3.
    FIGURE 3.

    (A) Uptake of 11C-MCYS per 106 cells after coincubation with specific transport inhibitors (15 mmol/L) for 4 min: BCH as competitive inhibitor of system L, MeAIB as competitive inhibitor of system A, and MeAIB plus serine as competitive inhibitor of system ASC. (B) Uptake of 11C-MCYS per 106 cells at different concentrations (μmol/L) of MCYS in incubation medium.

  • FIGURE 4.
    FIGURE 4.

    Radioactivities contained in acid solution and acid-precipitable fractions at 30 min after injection.

  • FIGURE 5.
    FIGURE 5.

    MRI, PET, and coregistered PET/MRI images from top to bottom, respectively, in 45-year-old man with history of attempted resection of grade IV glioma. (A) 11C-MCYS PET illustrates obvious hypermetabolic lesion as depicted by gadolinium-enhanced MRI (arrow), suggesting predominant high-grade tumor recurrence, which was confirmed on histopathology. (B) 18F-FDG PET shows slightly low uptake in patch-shaped heterogeneous hypometabolic area in right temporal lobe (arrow).

Tables

  • TABLE 1

    Biodistribution of 11C-MCYS in Normal Mice After Intravenous Injection

    Organ5 min10 min20 min30 min60 min
    Blood1.03 ± 0.120.71 ± 0.080.38 ± 0.070.21 ± 0.090.17 ± 0.02
    Brain0.72 ± 0.060.60 ± 0.090.33 ± 0.060.18 ± 0.070.13 ± 0.04
    Heart0.94 ± 0.150.89 ± 0.080.68 ± 0.060.40 ± 0.050.31 ± 0.06
    Lung0.91 ± 0.110.72 ± 0.120.42 ± 0.300.38 ± 0.300.23 ± 0.05
    Liver1.97 ± 0.121.38 ± 0.101.06 ± 0.090.86 ± 0.120.53 ± 0.14
    Kidney0.89 ± 0.090.62 ± 0.080.58 ± 0.080.32 ± 0.060.29 ± 0.05
    Stomach wall0.99 ± 0.150.87 ± 0.100.62 ± 0.090.44 ± 0.070.20 ± 0.04
    Small intestine0.92 ± 0.320.75 ± 0.190.63 ± 0.230.46 ± 0.070.32 ± 0.14
    Muscle0.61 ± 0.040.35 ± 0.080.28 ± 0.050.17 ± 0.060.14 ± 0.02

    • Data are average %ID/g ± SD (n = 5).

  • TABLE 2

    Uptake of 11C-MCYS, 18F-FDG, and 11C-MET in Tumor, Inflammatory Lesion, and Muscle at 60 Minutes After Injection in Tumor-Model Mice and Inflammation-Model Mice

    Tissue11C-MCYS18F-FDG11C-MET
    Tumor4.58 ± 0.654.32 ± 0.473.03 ± 0.79
    Inflammation1.02 ± 0.183.30 ± 0.231.62 ± 0.68
    Muscle0.63 ± 0.050.85 ± 0.130.71 ± 0.09
    Tumor-to-muscle ratio7.275.084.26
    Inflammation-to-muscle ratio1.623.882.28

    • Mice (n = 5) were killed at 60 min after injection; tissue samples were rapidly removed, and weight and radioactivity were measured. Data are average %ID/g ± SD (n = 5), or ratio.

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