Fungal infection imaging using Tc-99m-labeled voriconazole

Fungal infection poses a serious threat to individuals who are immune compromised. The invasive techniques histopathology and culture still remain the gold standard for fungal infection detection. Voriconazole, a triazole, exhibits antifungal action by impairing the production of ergosterol in the fugal cell membrane. The present study aims to radiolabel voriconazole with ^99mTc for noninvasive imaging of fungal infection. Voriconazole was successfully labeled with ^99mTc and is specific for fungal cell as observed in in vitro study. However, further in vitro studies need to be done to establish the role of ^99mTc voriconazole as a potential radiopharmaceutical for noninvasive imaging of fungal infections