The human norepinephrine transporter in combination with 11C-m-hydroxyephedrine as a reporter gene/reporter probe for PET of gene therapy.

Unlabelled: Although the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene has been frequently applied as a reporter gene for monitoring gene transfection in animals, it has some intrinsic limitations for use in humans. In our search for a reporter gene that lacks these limitations, we have evaluated the feasibility of the human norepinephrine transporter (hNET) as a reporter gene in combination with the reporter probe 11C-m-hydroxyephedrine (mHED) for PET.

Methods: An adenoviral vector (AdTrack-hNET) containing the hNET gene as reporter gene and the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as a substitute for a therapeutic gene was constructed.