Synthesis of 18F-Labelled Radiotracers for PET Imaging of Bacterial Infection

Antibiotic resistance is a growing issue, estimated to become a leading cause of death by 2050 without intervention. An effort to reduce overconsumption of antibiotics is vital for preserving the current supply of effective antibiotics. A method of appropriately identifying the site and spread of bacterial infection at an early stage could help to direct appropriate treatment, encourage responsible consumption of antibiotics and limit the progression of antibiotic resistance, however currently there is no clinically useful method of imaging bacterial infection in vivo In this project, we will address this challenge by developing new small molecules that could be used to image bacterial infections in vivo.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a sensitive, quantifiable, and non-invasive medical imaging technique that is currently employed by the NHS in oncology, neurology and cardiology, with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) being the most common radiotracer. We aim to expand the use of PET to the diagnosis of bacterial infections by synthesising and evaluating a range of new fluorine-18 labelled radiotracers.

Initial work will focus on the synthesis of the fluorinated small molecules with non-radioactive fluorine. These fluorinated small molecules will be evaluated for use as potential fluorine-18 PET radiotracers, with successful small molecules transferred to a radiochemistry setting for labelling with radioactive fluorine-18. Next, bacterial uptake studies and in vitro stability studies will be carried out to test the stability and incorporation of our radiotracer in bacteria. Finally, PET studies will demonstrate the efficiency of the new tracers for the imaging of bacterial infections in vivo.