{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-10-10T10:25:20.356Z", "family": "Zhang", "given": "Bo", "initials": "B", "orcid": "0000-0002-9199-1115", "affiliations": ["Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden.", "Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/7ce4d3f145f14816a0c6f42481475c3a.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/7ce4d3f145f14816a0c6f42481475c3a"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "68170984235543e3a87033df2cf1f668", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/68170984235543e3a87033df2cf1f668.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/68170984235543e3a87033df2cf1f668"}}, "title": "[18F]MK-7246 for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Beta-Cell Surface Marker GPR44.", "authors": [{"family": "Cheung", "given": "Pierre", "initials": "P", "orcid": "0000-0003-1330-9800", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/2b8ff5c23c624f7b965e736f1f277c10.json"}}, {"family": "Amin", "given": "Mohammad A", "initials": "MA"}, {"family": "Zhang", "given": "Bo", "initials": "B", "orcid": "0000-0002-9199-1115", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/7ce4d3f145f14816a0c6f42481475c3a.json"}}, {"family": "Lechi", "given": "Francesco", "initials": "F"}, {"family": "Korsgren", "given": "Olle", "initials": "O", "orcid": "0000-0002-8524-9547", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/f4f384eeb31a4b2dba5c9301bb34c156.json"}}, {"family": "Eriksson", "given": "Jonas", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Odell", "given": "Luke R", "initials": "LR"}, {"family": "Eriksson", "given": "Olof", "initials": "O", "orcid": "0000-0002-2515-8790", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/85991bf00e4b4a26ab15599d25c58601.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2023-02-02", "journal": {"title": "Pharmaceutics", "issn": "1999-4923", "volume": "15", "issue": "2", "issn-l": null}, "abstract": "The progressive loss of beta-cell mass is a hallmark of diabetes and has been suggested as a complementary approach to studying the progression of diabetes in contrast to the beta-cell function. Non-invasive nuclear medicinal imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography using radiation emitting tracers have thus been suggested as more viable methodologies to visualize and quantify the beta-cell mass with sufficient sensitivity. The transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR44 has been identified as a biomarker for monitoring beta-cell mass. MK-7246 is a GPR44 antagonist that selectively binds to GPR44 with high affinity and good pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we present the synthesis of MK-7246, radiolabeled with the positron emitter fluorine-18 for preclinical evaluation using cell lines, mice, rats and human pancreatic cells. Here, we have described a synthesis and radiolabeling method for producing [18F]MK-7246 and its precursor compound. Preclinical assessments demonstrated the strong affinity and selectivity of [18F]MK-7246 towards GPR44. Additionally, [18F]MK-7246 exhibited excellent metabolic stability, a fast clearance profile from blood and tissues, qualifying it as a promising radioactive probe for GPR44-directed PET imaging.", "doi": "10.3390/pharmaceutics15020499", "pmid": "36839820", "labels": {"SciLifeLab Fellow": "", "Olof Eriksson": ""}, "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC9962486"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "pharmaceutics15020499"}], "notes": [], "created": "2023-05-14T14:50:44.384Z", "modified": "2026-09-23T13:29:20.813Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "34d3508a0b6449e0bc7d956cc2d76b2c", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/34d3508a0b6449e0bc7d956cc2d76b2c.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/34d3508a0b6449e0bc7d956cc2d76b2c"}}, "title": "PET Imaging of GPR44 by Antagonist [11C]MK-7246 in Pigs.", "authors": [{"family": "Cheung", "given": "Pierre", "initials": "P", "orcid": "0000-0003-1330-9800", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/2b8ff5c23c624f7b965e736f1f277c10.json"}}, {"family": "Zhang", "given": "Bo", "initials": "B", "orcid": "0000-0002-9199-1115", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/7ce4d3f145f14816a0c6f42481475c3a.json"}}, {"family": "Puuvuori", "given": "Emmi", "initials": "E", "orcid": "0000-0001-8501-218X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/d00c97d030c841f398e212ade1edfb91.json"}}, {"family": "Estrada", "given": "Sergio", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Amin", "given": "Mohammad A", "initials": "MA", "orcid": "0000-0003-0896-6312", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/84ca5c02a8d04460982278ddfd3cb33e.json"}}, {"family": "Ye", "given": "Sofie", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Korsgren", "given": "Olle", "initials": "O"}, {"family": "Odell", "given": "Luke R", "initials": "LR", "orcid": "0000-0001-7658-5103", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/49395660c6af4fce9ad0f7f8fc793744.json"}}, {"family": "Eriksson", "given": "Jonas", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0003-0241-092X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/71cd42cbc17b4eb092c0ea4d452477e9.json"}}, {"family": "Eriksson", "given": "Olof", "initials": "O"}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2021-04-16", "journal": {"title": "Biomedicines", "issn": "2227-9059", "volume": "9", "issue": "4", "issn-l": null}, "abstract": "A validated imaging marker for beta-cell mass would improve understanding of diabetes etiology and enable new strategies in therapy development. We previously identified the membrane-spanning protein GPR44 as highly expressed and specific to the beta cells of the pancreas. The selective GPR44 antagonist MK-7246 was radiolabeled with carbon-11 and the resulting positron-emission tomography (PET) tracer [11C]MK-7246 was evaluated in a pig model and in vitro cell lines. The [11C]MK-7246 compound demonstrated mainly hepatobiliary excretion with a clearly defined pancreas, no spillover from adjacent tissues, and pancreatic binding similar in magnitude to the previously evaluated GPR44 radioligand [11C]AZ12204657. The binding could be blocked by preadministration of nonradioactive MK-7246, indicating a receptor-binding mechanism. [11C]MK-7246 showed strong potential as a PET ligand candidate for visualization of beta-cell mass (BCM) and clinical translation of this methodology is ongoing.", "doi": "10.3390/biomedicines9040434", "pmid": "33923731", "labels": {"SciLifeLab Fellow": "", "Olof Eriksson": ""}, "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC8073488"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "biomedicines9040434"}], "notes": [], "created": "2023-05-14T15:03:05.485Z", "modified": "2026-09-23T11:21:30.627Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "3afb4cfd1e344d4cb4c1336796de29f1", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/3afb4cfd1e344d4cb4c1336796de29f1.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/3afb4cfd1e344d4cb4c1336796de29f1"}}, "title": "The Norway spruce genome sequence and conifer genome evolution.", "authors": [{"family": "Nystedt", "given": "Bj\u00f6rn", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Street", "given": "Nathaniel R", "initials": "NR"}, {"family": "Wetterbom", "given": "Anna", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Zuccolo", "given": "Andrea", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Lin", "given": "Yao-Cheng", "initials": "YC"}, {"family": "Scofield", "given": "Douglas G", "initials": "DG", "orcid": "0000-0001-5235-6461", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/6a2cc7a4bad04f5ab664027a374f5698.json"}}, {"family": "Vezzi", "given": "Francesco", "initials": "F"}, {"family": "Delhomme", "given": "Nicolas", "initials": "N"}, {"family": "Giacomello", "given": "Stefania", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0003-0738-1574", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/5a9c4a7494ba4284ab52158e6cbc85da.json"}}, {"family": "Alexeyenko", "given": "Andrey", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0001-8812-6481", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/8078f1505d9747e1ac76cf2f6d4ee606.json"}}, {"family": "Vicedomini", "given": "Riccardo", "initials": "R"}, {"family": "Sahlin", "given": "Kristoffer", "initials": "K", "orcid": "0000-0001-7378-2320", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ca3f1ebe1b9946a9ad9eb4b3058a911c.json"}}, {"family": "Sherwood", "given": "Ellen", "initials": "E"}, {"family": "Elfstrand", "given": "Malin", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0002-0214-5284", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/6ea896e8946240f587aecc990b6b8bfd.json"}}, {"family": "Gramzow", "given": "Lydia", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Holmberg", "given": "Kristina", "initials": "K"}, {"family": "H\u00e4llman", "given": "Jimmie", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Keech", "given": "Olivier", "initials": "O"}, {"family": "Klasson", "given": "Lisa", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Koriabine", "given": "Maxim", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Kucukoglu", "given": "Melis", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "K\u00e4ller", "given": "Max", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Luthman", "given": "Johannes", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Lysholm", "given": "Fredrik", "initials": "F"}, {"family": "Niittyl\u00e4", "given": "Totte", "initials": "T"}, {"family": "Olson", "given": "Ake", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Rilakovic", "given": "Nemanja", "initials": "N"}, {"family": "Ritland", "given": "Carol", "initials": "C"}, {"family": "Rossell\u00f3", "given": "Josep A", "initials": "JA"}, {"family": "Sena", "given": "Juliana", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Svensson", "given": "Thomas", "initials": "T"}, {"family": "Talavera-L\u00f3pez", "given": "Carlos", "initials": "C"}, {"family": "Thei\u00dfen", "given": "G\u00fcnter", "initials": "G"}, {"family": "Tuominen", "given": "Hannele", "initials": "H"}, {"family": "Vanneste", "given": "Kevin", "initials": "K"}, {"family": "Wu", "given": "Zhi-Qiang", "initials": "ZQ"}, {"family": "Zhang", "given": "Bo", "initials": "B", "orcid": "0000-0002-9199-1115", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/7ce4d3f145f14816a0c6f42481475c3a.json"}}, {"family": "Zerbe", "given": "Philipp", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Arvestad", "given": "Lars", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Bhalerao", "given": "Rishikesh", "initials": "R"}, {"family": "Bohlmann", "given": "Joerg", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Bousquet", "given": "Jean", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Garcia Gil", "given": "Rosario", "initials": "R"}, {"family": "Hvidsten", "given": "Torgeir R", "initials": "TR"}, {"family": "de Jong", "given": "Pieter", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "MacKay", "given": "John", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Morgante", "given": "Michele", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Ritland", "given": "Kermit", "initials": "K"}, {"family": "Sundberg", "given": "Bj\u00f6rn", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Thompson", "given": "Stacey Lee", "initials": "SL"}, {"family": "Van de Peer", "given": "Yves", "initials": "Y"}, {"family": "Andersson", "given": "Bj\u00f6rn", "initials": "B", "orcid": "0000-0003-2975-9400", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/869d72720cd9462dba09cbc861556de6.json"}}, {"family": "Nilsson", "given": "Ove", "initials": "O", "orcid": "0000-0003-2716-2563", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/3e197da18897400e9babda511e0e31cb.json"}}, {"family": "Ingvarsson", "given": "P\u00e4r K", "initials": "PK", "orcid": "0000-0001-9225-7521", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/fb09a6889bc64651ac6eb90b67edca3d.json"}}, {"family": "Lundeberg", "given": "Joakim", "initials": "J", "orcid": "0000-0003-4313-1601", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/d9fa47767cd14ef2b9528c8b998cf095.json"}}, {"family": "Jansson", "given": "Stefan", "initials": "S"}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2013-05-30", "journal": {"title": "Nature", "issn": "1476-4687", "volume": "497", "issue": "7451", "pages": "579-584", "issn-l": "0028-0836"}, "abstract": "Conifers have dominated forests for more than 200 million years and are of huge ecological and economic importance. Here we present the draft assembly of the 20-gigabase genome of Norway spruce (Picea abies), the first available for any gymnosperm. The number of well-supported genes (28,354) is similar to the >100 times smaller genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, and there is no evidence of a recent whole-genome duplication in the gymnosperm lineage. Instead, the large genome size seems to result from the slow and steady accumulation of a diverse set of long-terminal repeat transposable elements, possibly owing to the lack of an efficient elimination mechanism. Comparative sequencing of Pinus sylvestris, Abies sibirica, Juniperus communis, Taxus baccata and Gnetum gnemon reveals that the transposable element diversity is shared among extant conifers. Expression of 24-nucleotide small RNAs, previously implicated in transposable element silencing, is tissue-specific and much lower than in other plants. We further identify numerous long (>10,000 base pairs) introns, gene-like fragments, uncharacterized long non-coding RNAs and short RNAs. This opens up new genomic avenues for conifer forestry and breeding.", "doi": "10.1038/nature12211", "pmid": "23698360", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pii", "key": "nature12211"}], "notes": [], "created": "2018-12-05T08:19:22.709Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T11:43:07.100Z"}]}