Facile, efficient conjugation of a trifunctional lanthanide chelate to a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligand.

[reaction: see text] Receptor-mediated imaging and therapy of diseased tissue is rapidly gaining favor in the medical community. The synthesis and facile aqueous/organic coupling of a peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor ligand to a cyclen-based fluorophore is described herein. The contrast agent QM-CTMC-PK11195, when chelated with lanthanides, produces bright luminescence and good MRI contrast and can potentially serve as an imaging and demarcation agent for certain types of cancers.