PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Krystle Worthington Glasgow
AU  - Mike Dillard
AU  - Eric Hertenstein
AU  - Allen Justin
AU  - Remo George
AU  - Amy Byrd Brady
TI  - Going Nuclear with Amino Acids and Proteins – Basic Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Primer for the Technologist
AID  - 10.2967/jnmt.122.263847
DP  - 2022 Feb 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
PG  - jnmt.122.263847
4099  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/early/2022/02/23/jnmt.122.263847.short
4100  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/early/2022/02/23/jnmt.122.263847.full
AB  - In recent years, there has been an influx of new tracers into the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Most of these tracers that have been FDA approved for clinical imaging exploit various mechanisms of protein biochemistry and molecular biology to bring about their actions, such as amino acid metabolism, protein folding, receptor-ligand interactions, and surface transport mechanisms. In this review, we attempt to paint a clear picture of the basic biochemistry and molecular biology of protein structure, translation, transcription, post-translational modifications, and protein targeting, in the context of the various radiopharmaceuticals currently used clinically, all in an easy-to-understand language for entry level technologists in the field. Tracer characteristics, including indications, dosage, injection-to-imaging time, and the logic behind the normal and pathophysiologic biodistribution of these newer molecular tracers, are also discussed.