Positron emission tomography as a noninvasive tool in pharmacokinetic studies

Abstract

Abstract Positron emission tomography (PET) principally relies on the physical properties of employed radioactive isotopes, for instance, fluorine-18 (18F), oxygen-15 (15O), and carbon-11 (11C). PET imaging generally works on the principle of detecting high-energy twofold-coincident photons emitting through the positron-emitting radioisotope. It provides exceptional PET imaging aptitudes with great sensitivity and accuracy of the radiotracer (in vivo). It allows three-dimensional mapping of radiopharmaceuticals, for instance, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. In the present scenario, PET imaging is an essential clinical modality for applications in various fields such as cancer, heart-related disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, especially for examining murine and several small-animal models. PET is also associated with imaging challenges, such as integration amid magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray-computed tomography, the quantitative precision and accuracy, and primary adjustments amid resolution and noise. This chapter gives an insight into the basic principle of PET along with its instrumentation. The pharmacokinetics of drugs with PET as well as static and dynamic PET acquisition is also discussed.