Non-invasive imaging of human telomerase activity-targeting enzyme in BNCT

In the present study, we achieved non-invasive imaging of gene expression of human telomerase (hTRT) in brain tumors by systemic administration of antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) and phosphorothioate-derivative (S-oligomer) labeled with 11C as a positron emitter. The difference in the rate of incorporation of antisense between the tumor and the surrounding normal brain tissue is large enough to apply this technique practically to non-invasive imaging of gene expression in humans using positron emission tomography (PET). We also expected that this technique can be used in developing the peculiar boron carrier in the neutron capture therapy. (author)