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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Radionuclide-fluorescence Reporter Gene Imaging to Track Tumor Progression in Rodent Tumor Models
Published on: March 13, 2018
Visualisation of neuroblastoma growth in a Scid mouse model using [18F]FDG and [18F]FLT-PET
Nina Krieger-Hinck1, Heike Gustke, Ursula Valentiner
1Department of Anatomy II: Experimental Morphology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Background:
Tumor therapy has been monitored using the metabolic indicator [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). However, the nucleotide precursor [18F]fluoro-thymidine ([18F]FLT) is in principle more specific as it is incorporated into DNA. Thus, the [18F]FDG and [18F]FLT uptake by human neuroblastomas grown in Scid mice are compared in this study.
Materials And Methods:
Scid mice were inoculated with human neuroblastoma cells. Tumor imaging was performed with a human whole-body full-ring PET scanner. Furthermore, the tumor weight and the cell proliferation rate were determined.
Results:
Neuroblastomas could be visualised using [18F]FDG in 40% and with [18F]FLT in 70% of the cases. [18F]FDG or [18F]FLT uptake could not be visualised in neuroblastomas less than 1.0 g in weight. No correlation between the cell proliferation rate and tracer uptake could be detected.
Conclusion:
[18F]FLT showed a higher uptake than [18F]FDG and, therefore, might be more suitable for monitoring anticancer therapy, at least in this tumor model.
