Effects of structural differences between radioiodine-labeled 1-(2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-D-arabinofuranosyl)-5-iodouracil (FIAU) and 1-(2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-d-ribofuranosyl)-5-iodouracil (FIRU) on HSV1-TK reporter gene imaging.

The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of structural differences between FIAU and FIRU on their ability to serve as a potential tracer for reporter gene imaging. To examine the characteristics of different configurations of FIAU and FIRU, a series of evaluations were done on HSV1-TK gene-expressing cells and on mice with HSV1-TK gene-expressing tumor. The results showed that, as an imaging agent for HSV1-TK-expressing cells, radiolabeled FIAU was more efficient for in vivo imaging than FIRU.