Small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) allows measuring the tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics of radiolabelled molecules non-invasively in living animals (e.g. mice, rats, rabbits).
For PET imaging positron-emitting radionuclides, such as carbon-11 (11C), fluorine-18 (18F), gallium-68 (68Ga) or iodine-124 (124I) need to be incorporated into the molecule of interest. PET data combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data provide detailed anatomical information about the tissue distribution of radiolabelled molecules.
With AIT’s GMP-certified radiochemistry laboratory which includes a cyclotron for production of PET radionuclides (11C, 18F) and automated synthesis systems, AIT can offer clients a full complement of services to meet their imagining needs. Moreover, procedures for labeling molecules with 68Ga and 124I and a wide-array of established PET tracers (e.g. FDG, FDOPA) are also available.
AIT´s imaging laboratory is equipped with a Siemens microPET Focus 220 scanner and a Bruker 1 Tesla ICON MRI scanner. The laboratory includes a metabolite lab, an autoradiography system, a computer-based well counter, and all equipment necessary for cell culture work. The Molecular Imaging Group has built up a large body of expertise in different radiolabelling methods and in performing small-animal studies. A large number of established imaging protocols, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and data analysis tools guarantee reliable scientific results.