Towards Optimized Bioavailability of 99mTc-Labeled Barbiturates for Non-invasive Imaging of Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity

Introduction Dysregulated activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) drives a variety of pathophysiological conditions. Non-invasive imaging of MMP activity in vivo promises diagnostic and prognostic value. However, current targeting strategies by small molecules are typically limited with respect to the bioavailability of the labeled MMP binders in vivo . To this end, we here introduce and compare three chemical modifications of a recently...