Novel imaging chelates for drug discovery

The introduction of organic frameworks designed to coordinate metal ions or chelates to medical imaging has allowed for significant breakthroughs in the identification of many disease states. These identified disease states such as cancerous, cardiovascular and neurological, which provide excellent targets for novel drugs, and without the imaging chelates would certainly not have been discovered. In this article we will present a series of novel imaging chelates that have influenced drug discovery.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (112 K)Download as PowerPoint slideHighlights► This review shows the three non-invasive imaging modalities, MRI, PET and SPECT, involved in drug discovery. ► Discussing novel chelates and the methods used for bio-conjugation. ► MRI chelates, coordinate gadolinium ions. ► PET chelates coordinate 64Cu and 68Ga, and SPECT chelates coordinating 99mTc. ► Disease states include; Cancer, Alzheimer's, Neural and Cardiovascular.