Fluorine-18 radiolabeling of native and oxidized proteins: An important tool in the pathophysiologists’ toolbox

The systematic development and improvement of a methodology for mild radiolabeling of both native and modified proteins with the short-lived positron emitter fluorine-18 (¹⁸F) under physiological conditions is reported. The presented methodology is an attractive alternative to protein and lipoprotein radiolabeling methods using iodine or metal radionuclides and, particularly, can be applied for functional characterization of both native and oxidized protein species in vivo by means of positron emission tomography (PET).