Technologies

Summary

Inventors at Vanderbilt University have developed a novel chemical design and synthesis process for azulene-based COX2 contrast agents which can be used for molecular imaging, via a variety of imaging techniques. These COX2 probes can be utilized for numerous applications, including imaging cancers and inflammation caused by arthritis and cardiovascular diseases. The process for developing these COX2 contrast agents has been significantly improved through a convergent synthesis process which reduces the required steps to establish the COX2 precursors.

Addressed Need

• Difficulty labeling precursors with fluoride
• Current synthesis requires too many steps
• COX2 probes do not currently exist for PET/SPECT imaging devices

Technology Description

This novel synthesis process creates COX2 contrast agents for molecular imaging, either positron emission tomography (PET) or singe photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or optical or magnetic resonance imaging. COX2 is a useful marker in detection of early stages of cancer as they are not expressed in normal tissues, but are "turned on" in early stages of inflammatory lesions and premalignant and malignant tumors. Convergent synthesis is used to obtain the COX2 precursors in the minimum possible number of steps of synthesis. In addition to the COX2 PET probes and synthesis process, this invention describes a process for labeling the COX2 probes with [18F] Fluoride.