PET, SPECT and Cyclotron

Our PET Unit offers cutting-edge nuclear imaging technology and expertise to all investigators, including: 

  1. the conception and production of PET radiopharmaceuticals under conditions that satisfy all Health-Canada and nuclear safety regulations,
  2. high-quality imaging of disease models and human participants

We feature the largest catalog of tracers in Canada, that are all produced onsite in our research-dedicated cyclotron and radiochemistry laboratory. New compounds can be produced on demand. We provide the scanning technology and expertise for high-resolution imaging of the smallest brain regions, with high quantitative accuracy. Our core scanning facility is equipped with a Siemens HRRT, the PET camera with the highest-spatial resolution available (one of the 14 installed worldwide), a Siemens HR+ scanner and a SPECT camera.  

To get your PET study started and all other related inquiries, please contact the PET Medical Director (protocol) or the Director of Cyclotron (production of existing and new tracers).

PET Unit Staff

Medical Director

jean-paul.soucy [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PET%20study) (Prof Jean-Paul Soucy)

Director, Cyclotron & Radiochemistry

gassan.massarweh [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Cyclotron%20and%20radiochemistry) (Prof Gassan Massarweh)

Research Faculty

Prof Alexey Kostikov

 

Academic Associate

Stephan Blinder

Systems Development Manager, Cyclotron

Dean Jolly

Systems Manager

 

Reda Bouhachi

 

Research Assistants

 

 

Marina Kostikova

Karen Ross

Monica Samoila-Lactatus

Research Technicians

 

Robert Hopewell

Hung-Hsin Hsiao

Biomedical Engineering

Ron Mio

 

Radiation Safety Officer

 

Dr. Christian Janicki

Administrative Coordinator

 

Belinda Preziosi

 

 

Our PET and Cyclotron staff is supported in part by a generous donation from the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation.

 

 


Animal PET

We offer access to a CTI Concorde microPET R4 scanner for PET imaging of small-animals. Combined with our 7-T small-bore MRI scanner, our on-site cyclotron, radiochemistry, and HPLC facilities, we offer the best service to develop functional and molecular imaging of disease models.


PET Tracers 

Please contact the Gassan.Massarweh [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Production%20of%20PET%20Tracers) (Director of Cyclotron) to inquire about the production of other tracers not featured in the list.

11C-ABP688 (3-(6-methyl-pyridin-2-ylethynyl)-cyclohex-2-enone-O-11C-methyl-oxime)

Highly selective antagonist tracer for imaging the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5)

11C-DTBZ (dihydrotetrabenazine)

High-affinity ligand of the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2)

11C-PIB ( N-methyl-[11C]2-(4′-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole)

beta-Amyloid binding agent for imaging amyloid plaques

11C-Raclopride

Dopamine D2 receptor antagonist

11C-SCH 23390

Dopamine D1 receptor antagonist

18F-fallypride

Dopamine D2 receptor antagonist with high affinity, allowing cortical D2r visualisation

11C-PK 11195

Ligand of the mitochondrial Translocator Protein (TSPO; formerly designated as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor), found in activated microglia (inflammation marker)

18F-PBR06 ([18F]Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine)

Also a ligand of the mitochondrial Translocator Protein (TSPO; formerly designated as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor), found in activated microglia (inflammation marker). Shows less non-specific binding than 11C-PK 11195, and is labelled with 18F, allowing for more widespread distribution.

18F-MPPF

Ligand of the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A; agonist

18F-Altanserin

Ligand of the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A; agonist

18F-Benzovesamicol

Radioligand of the vesicular acethylcoline transporter (VAChT). Still investigational (used in only models at this time)

18F-FDG (2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-g1ucose)

Glucose analog

18F-Flumazenil

Ligand of the benzodiazepine receptor (cBZR) found on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-A) receptors

18F-SFB (N-succinimidyl 4-[18F]fluorobenzoate)

Can be used for labelling a variety of peptides and proteins with wide-ranging targets specificity

18F-NAV4694

beta-Amyloid binding agent for imaging amyloid plaques

15O water

 [15O]water is used for measuring regional cerebral blood flow

18F-FMISO

Fluoromisonidazole for the detection of hypoxia

18F-FMCh, [18F]Fluoromethyl-[1,2-2H4]-choline

A novel radiotracer for imaging choline metabolism in tumors

18F-FECh, 2-[(18)F]Fluoroethyl-choline ([(18)F]FECH) 

A tracer for the detection of prostate cancer

11C-FLB 457

For imaging D2 dopamine receptors in extrastriatal brain regions

18F-Flurpiridaz

PET myocardial perfusion imaging (perfusion agent from Lantheus0

18F-T807

PET imaging agent for Tau

                           

The Neuro logoMcGill logoMcGill University Health Centre logoKillam logo

                                                                                                                 FacebookinstagramtwitterlinkedInyoutube

Back to top