NCI Drug Dictionary
The NCI Drug Dictionary contains technical definitions and synonyms for drugs/agents used to treat patients with cancer or conditions related to cancer. Each drug entry includes links to check for clinical trials listed in NCI's List of Cancer Clinical Trials.
- meta-fluorine F 18 fluorobenzylguanidine
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A radioconjugate composed of the positron-emitting radioisotope fluorine F 18-labeled benzylguanidine, a synthetic analogue of the adrenergic neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE), with potential use in the diagnostic imaging of human norepinephrine transporter (hNET)-expressing cells by either positron emitting tomography (PET) or computed tomography (CT). Upon administration, meta-fluorine F 18 fluorobenzylguanidine (MFBG) is taken up by and accumulates in both the granules of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells and the pre-synaptic granules of adrenergic neurons in a manner almost identical to that of NE. In turn, hNET-expressing tumor cells can be imaged by PET or CT. hNET, a transmembrane protein and regulator of catecholamine uptake normally restricted to the central and peripheral sympathetic nervous system, is overexpressed in certain tumor cell types. Check for active clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)
Synonym: meta-[(18)F]-fluorobenzylguanidine Abbreviation: [(18)F]-MFBG
18F-MFBG