GHSR-Targeted PET Imaging Probe

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) is expressed in a variety of peripheral organs, the brain, and tumor tissues, making it an important molecular target for both translational imaging and mechanistic studies of GHSR-related physiology and pathology. To date, several GHSR-targeted PET probes have been developed to support disease diagnosis and fundamental research on GHSR function. Recently, a study revealed PET tracer [18F]AQ-12 demonstrated favorable properties, including low lipophilicity, comparable binding affinity to existing ligands, and notably higher pancreatic uptake in GHSR-expressing tissue. Importantly, systematic structure–activity relationship analyses of this compound have been clearly delineated, providing valuable insights to guide further ligand optimization and GHSR-targeted drug development.