Definition

A radioconjugate consisting of a alkyltrifluoroborate conjugated to tyrosine-3-octreotate (Tyr3-octreotate or TATE) and labeled with the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer fluorine F 18, which may be used as a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) imaging agent in conjunction with PET to image neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Upon administration, fluorine F 18-AMBF3-TATE specifically binds to type 2 SSTR, present on the cell membranes of many types of NETs. This allows for visualization of SSTR2-positive cells upon imaging. SSTR subtypes have been shown to be present in large numbers on NETs and their metastases, while most other normal tissues express low levels of SSTR subtypes.