Definition

A radioconjugate composed of glutamine, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid, labeled at carbon position 5 (C5 position) with carbon C13, with potential metabolic imaging and isotope tracing applications. Upon administration of 5-carbon C 13-labeled glutamine, the glutamine is taken up and metabolized by tumors and the 13C-containing metabolites can be imaged by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Since tumor cells take up and metabolize glutamine in higher amounts and through different pathways than normal cells, this agent may help assess the metabolic phenotype of tumors and metabolic tumor pathways.