Research - Labs
Radiopharmaceutical Discovery
Welcome

The research interests of the lab encompass PET and SPECT radiotracer development of oncology, brain and heart agents. This emphasis includes the design and evaluation of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligands for imaging peripheral vascular disease and mapping of intracranial tumors, carbohydrates for in vivo study of regional glucose metabolism in cancer, alicyclic and branched chain amino acids for in vivo  mapping of intracranial and systemic tumors, radiolabeled fatty acids for in vivo study of regional fatty acid metabolism in heart disorders, cocaine analogs for in vivo study of the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine reuptake sites in neurodegenerative disease, psychiatric and addictive disorders, heterocyclic  analogs for in vivo mapping of CRF1 receptors in psychiatric disorders, and heteroaromatics for imaging amyloid in Alzheimer's disease.
 
In addition to radiotracer development, other research interests include applied research involving the development of automated devices to facilitate the use of new radiotracers in clinical medicine. Research has resulted in the translation of the first reported synthetic amino alicyclic acid radiolabled with the PET radioelement fluorine-18 for imaging both intracranial tumors and prostate cancer in patients..

 

                                                      - Mark Goodman, PhD
                                                        Endowed Chair in Imaging Sciences
                                                        Director, Radiopharmaceutical Discovery

Current Research

Pilot Grant: In vivo PET Imaging of the Norepinephrine Transporter in Alzheimer's Disease

Principal Investigators: Fanxing Zeng, PhD
Co-Investigators: Mark Goodman, PhD, Allan Levey, MD, PhD, Carolyn Meltzer, MD, Jon Nye, PhD

Funding Organization: The Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC)

Significance: We have developed a potent and selective PET agent for imaging NET, [11C]MENET, which possesses properties suitable for determining NET densities by kinetic analyses in nonhuman primates.In this application we propose to determine the alterations in brain NET concentration of AD patients using [11C]MENET and HRRT PET in order to follow the progressive loss of NET binding sites during AD. Results from these studies will provide relevant clinical information regarding the role of NET in AD.

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A Radiotracer for Primary and Metastatic Brain and Prostate Cancer

Radiotracer for Dopamine Transporters

PET Imaging of Serotonin Transporters

Radiopharmaceuticals Under Development at Emory University

Amino Acid Transporter - Cancer

B-Amyloid - Alzheimer's Disease

Dopamine Transporter - Parkinson's Diesease,  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Cocaine Addiction

Serotonin Transporter - Major depression,PD,
                                      Alzheimer's Disease and Drug Abuse

Norepinephrine Transporter - Major Depression and Anxiety 

CRF1 Receptor - Major depression and Anxiety

Mitochondrial Complex I-IV - PD, Heart Disease

Accomplishments

The Society of Nuclear Medicine Paul C. Aebersold Award
Mark M. Goodman, PhD
Endowed Chair for Imaging Sciences
Professor of Radiology

Dr. Goodman has been selected to receive the prestigious 2012 Paul C. Aebersold Award. Every year, The Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) Paul C. Aebersold Awards Committee selects an individual as the recipient of the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Science applied to Nuclear Medicine. The Aebersold Award is named for Paul C. Aebersold, a pioneer in the biologic and medical application of radioactive materials and the first director of the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of Isotopes Development at Oak Ridge.

 

Society of Nuclear Medicine: Michael J. Welch Award
Mark M. Goodman, PhD
Endowed Chair for Imaging Sciences
Professor of Radiology

The Welch Award was created as a means of recognizing individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of radiopharmaceutical sciences. The Welch Award was presented to Dr. Goodman at the 2010 SNM Annual Meeting. The Welch Award carries with it an honorarium of $1,000, which is sponsored by Bayer-Schering Pharma, AG, Berlin, Germany.

 

 

Publications

Jarkas N, Voll RJ, Williams L, Camp VM, and Goodman MM. R,S-Anti- 1-Amino-2-[18F]Fluorocyclopentyl-1-Carboxylic Acid:Synthesis from Racemic 2-Benzyloxycyclopentanone and Biological Evaluation for Brain Tumor Imaging with Positron Emission Tomography. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2010; 53: 6603-6607.

Stehouwer JS, Daniel LM, Chen P, Voll RJ, Williams, Plott S, Votaw JR,, Owens M, Howell L, Goodman MM. Synthesis, Fluorine-18 Radiolabeling, and Biological Evaluation of N-((E)-4-Fluorobut-2-en-1-yl)-2 Beta-carbomethoxy-3 Beta -(4'-halophenyl) nortropanes: Candidate Radioligands for In Vivo Imaging of the Brain Dopamine Transporter with Positron Emission Tomography. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2010; 53: 5549-5557.

Cosgrove KP, Baldwin RM, Bois F, Innis R, Plisson C, Seibyl JP, Goodman MM, Tamagnan GD, Staley JK. SPECT Imaging with the Serotonin Transporter Radiotracer [123I]pZIENT in Nonhuman Primate Brain. Nuclear Medicine and Biology. 2010; 337:587-591.

Jarkas N, Voll R, Williams L, Goodman MM. Validation of two fluoro-analogues of N,N-dimethyl-2-(2'-amino-4'- hydroxymethyl-phenylthio)benzylamine as serotonin transporter imaging agents using microPET. Nuclear Medicine and Biology.2010; 337: 593-603.

Zeng F, Alagille D, Tamagnan GD, Ciliax BJ, Levey AI, Goodman MM. Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of Imidazo[1,2-b] pyridazines as Ligands for Beta-Amyloid Plaques. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2010, 1(2): 80-84.

Howell LL, Votaw JR, Goodman MM, Lindsey KP. Cortical Activation During Cocaine Use and Extinction in Rhesus Monkeys. Psychopharmacology. 2010, 208: 191-199.

Yu W, Williams L, Camp VM, Olson JJ, Goodman MM. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of anti-1-Amino-2-[18F]Fluoro-Cyclobutyl-1-Carboxylic Acid (anti-2-[18F]FACBC) in Rat 9L Gliosarcoma. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2010,20: 2140-2143.

Liang Z, Wu H, Xia J, Li Y, Zhang Y, Huang K, Wager N, Yoon Y, Cho H, Scala S, Shim H. Involvement of miR-326 in chemotherapy resistance of breast cancer through modulating expression of multidrug resistanceassociated
protein 1
. Biochemical Pharmacology. 2010. March15; 79(6):817-24.

Yu W, Williams L, Camp VM, Malveaux E, Olson JJ, Goodman MM. Stereoselective Synthesis and Evaluation of Syn-1-Amino- 3-[18F]Fluorocyclobutyl-1-Carboxylic Acid as A Potential PET Brain Tumor Imaging Agent. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2009; 17:1982-1990.

Zeng F, Mun J, Jarkas N, Stehouwer J, Voll R, Tamagnan GD, Howell L, Votaw JR, Kilts CD, Nemeroff CB,Goodman MM. Synthesis, Radiosynthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Two Carbon-11 Labeled Reboxetine Analogs: Potential PET Radioligands for in Vivo Imaging of the Norepinephrine Transporter. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2009, 52: 65-73.

Jarkas N, Voll RJ, Williams L, Votaw JR, Owens M, Goodman MM. Synthesis and In Vivo Evaluation of Halogenated N,N-Dimethyl-2-(2'-amino-4'-hydroxymethylphenylthio)benzylamine Derivatives as PET Serotonin Transporter Ligands. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2008; 51:271-281.

Yu W, Williams L, Malveaux E, Camp VM, Olson JJ, Goodman MM. Facile Synthesis And Evaluation Of [123I] Labeled Iodovinyl Amino Acids Syn-, Anti-1-Amino-3-[2-Iodoethenyl]-Cyclobutane-1-Carboxylic Acid And 1-Amino-3-Iodomethylene-Cyclobutane-1-Carboxylic Acid As Potential SPECT Brain Tumor Imaging Agents. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2008; 18:1264-1268.

Zeng F, Jarkas N, Stehouwer J, Voll R, Owens MJ, Kilts CD, Nemeroff CB,Goodman MM. Synthesis, in Vitro Characterization, and Radiolabeling of Reboxetine Analogues as Potential PET Radioligands for Imaging the Norepinephrine Transporter. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2008; 16:783-793.

Faculty

Mark Goodman, PhD
Ronald Voll, PhD               
Fanxing, Zeng, PhD     
Jeffrey Stehouwer, PhD      
Nachwa Jarkas, PhD         
Wei-Ping Yu, PhD      
Jiyoung Mun, PhD      
Ronald Crowe, BCNP
Karen Dolph, NP
Michael Shane Waldrep, BS
Larry Williams, BA
Vernon Mel Camp, CNMT

Residents/Fellows

Wone Woo Seo, PhD

Contact Information

Mandi Blochberger
Senior Research Project Coordinator
Phone:  404 712-5963
E-mail: mandi.blochberger@emory.edu

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