Radioligand

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A radioligand is a radioactive biochemical substance (in particular, a ligand) that is used for diagnosis or for research-oriented study of the receptor systems of the body.

The radioligand is injected into the pertinent tissue, or infused into the bloodstream. It binds to its receptor. When the radioactive isotope in the ligand decays it can be measured, e.g., by positron emission tomography.

The transport of the radioligand is described by receptor kinetics.

Contents 1 History 2 Radioactive isotopes commonly used 3 List of radioligands 4 See also 5 References

[edit] History

Radioligands are acredited for making possible the study of biomolecular behaviour, a previously mysterious area of research that had evaded researchers.^[1] With this capacity radioligand techniques enabled researchers to identify receptor devices within cells.

[edit] Radioactive isotopes commonly used

main article: Radioactivity in biology

• Tritium ³H
• Carbon-14
• Sulfur-35
• Iodine-131

[edit] List of radioligands

• (¹⁸F)altanserin^[2]
• (¹¹C)ketanserin^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Binding potential
• Distribution volume
• Radioactivity in biology

[edit] References

1. ^ Niehoff, Debra (2005). The Language of Life: How cells communicate in life & disease. Joseph Henry Press. ISBN 0309089891. 
2. ^ Karen H. Adams, Lars H. Pinborg, Claus Svarer, S. G. Hasselbalch, Søren Holm, Steven Haugbøl, K. Madsen, Vibe G. Frøkjær, L. Martiny Olaf B. Paulson, Gitte Moos Knudsen (March 2004). "A database of [¹⁸F]-altanserin binding to 5-HT_2A receptors in normal volunteers: normative data and relationship to physiological and demographic variables". NeuroImage 21 (3): 1105-1113. DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2003.10.046. ISSN 1053-8119.