Toward Brain Na_V1.8 Imaging with [¹¹C]Suzetrigine.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objective: Acute and chronic pain affect millions of individuals, yet there are currently no molecular imaging tools to directly assess pain-related mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS). The voltage-gated sodium channel Na_V1.8 plays a pivotal role in neuropathic pain by increasing the excitability of nociceptive neurons following nerve injury or inflammation. In this work, we aimed to develop a novel positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe for Na_V1.8 to facilitate noninvasive quantification of this target in the CNS and thereby advance our understanding of pain neurobiology. Methods: We selected the compound suzetrigine, a U.S. FDA-approved, highly selective non-opioid Na_V1.8 inhibitor, as the first candidate for

SUBMITTER: Tokala R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12735773 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature