Definition

A radioconjugate consisting of octreotide linked to the radionuclide fluorine F 18 (18F), by the macrocyclic chelating agent, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetate (NOTA), through a method that first couples 18F to aluminum (Al), with potential imaging activity using positron emission tomography (PET). Upon administration of fluorine F 18-Al-NOTA-octreotide, the octreotide moiety targets and binds to somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) on SSTR-expressing tumor cells. This allows for visualization of SSTR-expressing tumor cells upon PET imaging. SSTRs have been shown to be present in large numbers on neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and their metastases, while most other normal tissues express low levels of SSTRs.