Loyola University Medical Education Network

Receptor binding


An increasingly important mechanism to consider is use of receptor binding radiopharmaceuticals designed specifically to trace receptor sites; for example, I-123 IQNB localizes at the site of muscarinic receptors, I-123 iomazenil localizes in benzodiazepine receptors, and I-123 mIBG permits visualization of adrenergic receptors in the myocardium. Critical features of drug development in this case include special attention to the specific activity and radiochemical purity of the starting material; otherwise, the specific activity of the final product may be unsuitable for localizing receptor sites due to saturation with cold, non-radioactive material.

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Stephen Karesh, PhD.

Last Updated: August 14, 1996
Created: March 1, 1996