Pharmacological evaluation of a novel 18F-benzamide with high uptake and specificity to melanotic tissues as a PET diagnostic agent for melanoma

Abstract

With distinct increases in incidence and mortality of melanoma worldwide our objective was to prepare radiolabel and evaluate [18F]MEL054; an enticing novel melanin targeting PET radiopharmaceutical whose characteristics have been taken from our previously reported iodinated molecules [123I]MEL037 and [123I]MEL008. As the chemistry of [18F]MEL054 can be simply translated to an iodine based [131I]radiopharmaceutical this is our first phase in creating an effective diagnostic/therapeutic pair targeting metastatic melanoma. © Wiley