CAIX-targeted PET imaging agents based on acetazolamide small molecule for clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), accounting for 65%-70%, is the most common subtype of renal cell cancers. Contrast-enhanced CT and MRI are still the predominant diagnostic modalities for renal carcinoma in clinical practice, but they cannot provide accurate diagnosis and staging, and molecular information related to tumor microenvironment. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), a transmembrane metalloenzyme on the cell surface and associated with hypoxia within the tumor, is emerging as a potential molecular target for both diagnosis and therapy in ccRCC. CAIX-targeted molecular imaging enables non-invasive visualization of ccRCC and guides treatment decision-making.