Technetium imaging organs

Technetium-99m coordination compounds are used very widely as noniavasive imaging tools (35) (see Imaging technology Radioactive tracers). Different coordination species concentrate ia different organs. Several of the [Tc O(chelate)2] types have been used. In fact, the large majority of nuclear medicine scans ia the United States are of technetium-99m complexes. Moreover, chiral transition-metal complexes have been used to probe nucleic acid stmcture (see Nucleic acids). For example, the two chiral isomers of tris(1,10-phenanthroline)mthenium (IT) [24162-09-2] (14) iateract differentiy with DNA. These compounds are enantioselective and provide an addition tool for DNA stmctural iaterpretation (36). 

ITic intent to synthesize compounds that could be appropriate as "Tc radiophar-maccuticals for diagnosis in nuclear medicine in selective imaging of organs has predominantly stimulated investigations on technetium complex chemistry. 

Beeause it has a short-life and can be administered in relatively large doses, and beeause the energy of its y-emission is readily detected, Technetium-99m is veiy widely employed, either as the perteehnetate or in the form of various labelled compounds, particles and eolloids for scanning bone and organs such as the brain, liver, lung, spleen and thyroid. is used in over 80% of imaging proeedures. 

Piwnica-Worms D, Chiu ML, Budding M, Kronauge JF, Kramer RA and Croop JM. Functional imaging of multidrug-resistant P-glycoprotein with an organ technetium complex. Cancer Res 1993 53 977-984. 

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