PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - William E. Sander
AU  - Mark E. Metzger
AU  - Kouki Morizono
AU  - Aylin Bonifacino
AU  - Scott R. Penzak
AU  - Yi-Ming Xie
AU  - Irvin S.Y. Chen
AU  - Jeffrey Bacon
AU  - Stephen G. Sestrich
AU  - Lawrence P. Szajek
AU  - Robert E. Donahue
TI  - Noninvasive Molecular Imaging to Detect Transgene Expression of Lentiviral Vector in Nonhuman Primates
DP  - 2006 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - 1212--1219
VI  - 47
IP  - 7
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/47/7/1212.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/47/7/1212.full
SO  - J Nucl Med2006 Jul 01; 47
AB  - Noninvasive imaging of a reporter gene is a new and promising technique to quantify transgene expression after gene therapy. This study was performed to demonstrate visualization of lentiviral-marked cells by PET. Methods: We transduced nonhuman primate CD34+ hematopoietic cells with a lentiviral vector expressing a PET reporter gene, the mutant viral herpes simplex virus type 1–thymidine kinase (HSV1-sr39tk) gene. 1-(2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-β-d-arabinofuranosyl)-76Br-5-bromouracil (76Br-FBAU) was used as the substrate for the viral tk enzyme. Upon phosphorylation, 76Br-FBAU was retained by cells and imaged by PET. The long half-life of 76Br, 16.2 h, permitted us to perform extended pharmacokinetic and imaging studies. Results: 76Br-FBAU was retained in vascular tissues of the animals with transplanted tk lentiviral vector–transduced CD34+ cells. Elimination of 76Br-FBAU was through renal and hepatic excretion. Conclusion: Noninvasive molecular imaging using PET will help us, in the future, to define the contribution and distribution of cells and their progeny to tissue repair and development.