Labeled antibiotics: Positron tomography as a tool for measuring tissue distribution

The literature covering the work involved in preparing and using antibiotics labeled with short‐lived positron‐emitting radionuclides is reviewed. The short half‐lives of these radionuclides, in the range of 20–110 min, requires the development of special labeling methods and also limits the time scale of studies that can be performed. However, in spite of these limitations a number of different labeled antibiotics have been studied in humans and, utilizing positron tomography, the tissue concentrations of the compounds and how they change with respect to time have been measured. Conventional radiopharmaceuticals for imaging infection are also briefly discussed, together with the potential of FDG/PET for drug development in this area. Drug Dev. Res. 59:261–268, 2003.