Radiosynthesis and validation of [Carboxy-11 C]4-Aminobenzoic acid ([11 C]PABA), a PET radiotracer for imaging bacterial infections.

In this practitioner protocol, the radiochemical synthesis of [11 C] PABA is described in detail, and a quality control summary of three validation productions is presented. The results indicate that the radiotracer product can be produced in good radiochemical yield (14% at end-of-synthesis (EOS)) at high specific activity (molar activity 11 Ci/μmole EOS; 407 GBq/μmole) and high chemical and radiochemical purity as a sterile, pyrogen-free solution suitable for injection conforming to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) requirements.