From Concept to Mice and Men:A PET Radiotracer Journey.

Positron Emitting Radiopharmaceuticals (PERs) and Single Photon Radiopharmaceuticals (SPRs) associated with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging are nowadays a corner stone to diagnostic and therapy planning for Cancers, Heart Diseases and Brain Disorders. Additionally, they are an invaluable research tool for physiological discovery, drug development and delivery system evaluation due to their affinity and specificity at the molecular level. During this presentation, we will introduce the concept of radiopharmaceuticals and PET imaging through its clinical and research applications. We will unveil the steps in order to design, evaluate and translate to clinical trial relevant PERs and discuss all the physiological and pharmacokinetic information that can be extracted from such studies.