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(4S)-4-(3-[ 18 F]Fluoropropyl)-L-glutamic acid ([ 18 F]FSPG) is a flourine-18 labeled glutamate analog that enables the noninvasive in vivo imaging of cellular redox status. [ 18 F]FSPG is transported across the cell membrane by the cystine/glutamate antiporter, system x c - , whose expression is upregulated in multiple cancer types. The requirement of cystine for the biosynthesis of glutathione, a major antioxidant, connects [ 18 F]FSPG tissue retention to the intracellular redox response via system x c - activity. We herein describe the use of [ 18 F]FSPG positron emission tomography (PET) to image the tumor antioxidant response and highlight key methodological considerations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Positron emission tomography (PET) enables the noninvasive spatiotemporal analysis of cancer metabolism in vivo. Both natural and nonnatural PET tracers have been developed to assess metabolic pathways during tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis. Here we describe the dynamic in vivo PET/CT imaging of the glucose analogue [ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG), taking into consideration the methodology for alternative metabolic PET substrates.