18F-barbiturates are PET tracers with diagnostic potential in Alzheimer's disease

Three fluoro-barbiturates were synthesised, showing in vivo sedative efficacy. One of them, [18F]1a, was synthesised in radiofluorinated form. PET/CT Imaging with [18F]1a identified β-amyloid over-expressing transgenic mice (βA mice) compared to wild type and tau lines. The fluorescent barbiturate 9 was able to label βA plaques in brain sections of βA mice, and co-localise with a fluorescent Zn(II) indicator.