Endocrine Abstracts

Molecular imaging technologies are emerging tools providing both researchers and clinicians with technologies for non invasive in vivo studies. Steroidogenic enzymes are abundantly and specifically expressed in steroidogenic tissue and represent an interesting target for tissue specific characterization. Iodometomidate is a highly potent inhibitor of cortisol and aldosterone synthesis due to specific and high affinity binding to both CYP11B1- and CYP11B2-enzymes. Our aim was to specifically depict adrenocortical tissue in animal models and for clinical characterization of adrenal disease. Therefore, radiosynthesis of iodometomidate and several analogues has been established and compounds were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. In both animal and clinical studies iodometomidate revealed to be a suitable SPECT-tracer for detection of adrenocortical tissue and differential diagnosis of adrenal masses. Due to the high specificity of tracer uptake enabling high local activities, iodometomidate furthermore demonstrated potential for radiotherapy of adrenocortical carcinoma.