Hemat Yaghoubi Mogadam - Department of chemistry, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Mostafa Erfani - Radiation Applications Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Nikpassand - Department of chemistry, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
Masoud Mokhtary - Department of chemistry, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

Objective(s): Clinical interest in metabolic imaging of cancer has been growing in recent years. The increase in protein metabolism of cancer cells is interesting target for metabolic tumor imaging, for which radiolabeled amino acids can be applied. The aim of this study was to evaluate a newly developed radiolabeled amino acid as an imaging protein metabolism in melanoma tumor.Methods: The radiolabeled tyrosine ([۹۹mTc][Tc-HYNIC/EDDA]-Tyr) was prepared and its biological  properties was evaluated in B۱۶F۱۰ melanoma tumor. Moreover organs uptake and tumor accumulation were measured in mouse bearing B۱۶F۱۰ melanoma tumor.Results: Radiolabeled tyrosine was attached in B۱۶F۱۰ melanoma cells and showed the cell binding capacity of ۱۳.۸۲±۰.۷۳%. In animal study, the accumulation of radiolabeled tyrosine was observed in B۱۶F۱۰ melanoma tumor (۲.۱۵±۰.۰۹ %ID/g) after ۳۰ min post injection, so that the uptake ratio of tumor to muscle was about ۵.۱۱. Through scintigraphy process the melanoma tumor clearly visualized in mice at ۳۰ min post injection.Conclusion: These data suggest that the novel radiotracer ([۹۹mTc][Tc-HYNIC/EDDA]-Tyr) as an protein metabolism imaging agent, is able to transfer into melanoma cells and show great expectation for the clinical application in the imaging of melanoma tumors.

Protein metabolism, Labeled amino acid, Imaging agent, Melanoma