Challenges in Production of Alzheimer’s Tracer C-11 PiB

Abstract

Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles have been known as the neuro- pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. 11C Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) ([C-11]PiB) is the first successful and well-studied radiopharmaceutical for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of beta-amyloid deposition in the brain. Although [C-11]PiB has been used in western countries since 2002, Wattanosoth Hospital was the only center with the capacity to produce [C-11]PiB in South-East Asia in 2012. This article describes briefly the challenges the PET radiopharmaceutical team at Wattanosoth Hospital have been facing in the production of [C-11]PiB. It also provides a brief protocol used here for production of [C-11]PiB.