Radiopharmaceuticals for the dopamine transporter in brain

Studies are reviewed in the field of development of radiopharmaceuticals th at bind to the dopamine transporters (DAT). New cocaine analogs for imaging DAT in brain have been applied in clinical use to diagnose the early stage of Parkinson's disease. I-123-labeled 2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-iodoph enyl)tropane (beta-CIT) was used with more than 1000 subjects in Europe, th e United States, and Japan to observe the changes in the density of DAT in brain by SPET. The development of new radiopharmaceuticals for the DAT whic h possess higher selectivity and have better properties for clinical routin e (e.g., labeling with Tc-99m) is in progress in many laboratories. Recent results are presented on a new radiopharmaceutical, I-123- and C-11-labeled N-[3-iodoprop-(2E)-enyl]-2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-methylphenyl)nortro pane (PE2I), for DAT imaging by SPET and PET.