Adduct of 2-[18F]FDG and 2-nitroimidazole as a putative radiotracer for the detection of hypoxia with PET: synthesis, in vitro- and in vivo-characterization

A new sugar-coupled 2-nitroimidazole derivative ([18F]image) has been prepared in good radiochemical yields starting from peracetylated 2-[18F]FDG obtained from an automated 2-[18F]FDG production module. The corresponding glucose derivative image has proved to be able to inhibit 2-[18F]FDG uptake into tumor cells in a concentration dependent way. However, [18F]image failed to show a retention in hypoxic tumor tissue thus excluding itself from further investigations.