Radiotracer Development for Bacterial Imaging

Bacterial infections remain a major threat to humanity and are a leading cause of death and disability. Antimicrobial resistance has been declared as one of the top ten threats to human health by the World Health Organization, and new technologies are urgently needed for the early diagnosis and monitoring of deep-seated and complicated infections in hospitalized patients. This review summarizes the radiotracers as applied to imaging of bacterial infections. We summarize the recent progress in the development of pathogen-specific imaging and the application of radiotracers in understanding drug pharmacokinetics as well as the local biology at the infection sites. We also highlight the opportunities for medicinal chemists in radiotracer development for bacterial infections, with an emphasis on target selection and radiosynthetic approaches. Imaging of infections is an emerging field. Beyond clinical applications, these technologies could provide unique insights into disease pathogenesis and expedite bench-to-bedside translation of new therapeutics.