2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-mannose positron emission tomography imaging in atherosclerosis

PET imaging using 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) has been widely used for the detection of plaque inflammation. Here, however, Nobuhiro Tahara and colleagues explore the possibility of using 18F-labeled mannose (2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-mannose, [18F]FDM), a structural analog to FDG, as an alternative and potentially more specific PET tracer than FDG for assessing the risk of acute vascular events in patients. The approach targets the mannose receptor–bearing macrophages that are abundant in high-risk atherosclerotic plaques, with feasibility demonstrated in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis.