Recent Trends in the Evaluation of Photochemical Insertion Characteristics of Heterobifunctional Perfluoroaryl Azide Chelating Agents: Biochemical Implications in Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

Abstract Achieving high efficiency covalent attachment of molecular probes to biomolecules by photolabeling techniques remains an elusive goal of chemists and biologists. Developments in the understanding of the fundamental photochemistry of perfluoroaryl azides suggest a new means of attaching diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclei to proteins and antibodies through heterobifunctional chelating agents containing a photoactive terminus. Such an approach requires establishment of the coordination chemistry of ligating systems, appropriate molecular design of the photolabel, analytical method development for critical analysis of photolabeled products and retention of immunoreactivity of antibodies in the postlabeling stage. In this review, we summarize recent developments in photolabeling technology and discuss new challenges for application of the technology in the field of nuclear medicine.