Design and synthesis of [125I]Pyricoxib: A novel 125I-labeled cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is the key enzyme in the prostaglandin synthesis pathway which is involved in various pathophysiological conditions. The enzyme is membrane bound and located inside of the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear membrane. Effective perfusion of inhibitors to the active site requires lipophilic drugs, which consequently display high unspecific background accumulation, for example, in fatty tissues. The objective of this work …