# A microscopic computational simulation of \[18F\]FDG transport and metabolism identifies valid regimes for compartmental analysis

Source: [A microscopic computational simulation of \[18F\]FDG transport and metabolism identifies valid regimes for compartmental analysis](<https://www.sota2.com/research/paper/6a7ea1054b236a9bba1a2a1d>)

Collection index: [llms.txt](<https://www.sota2.com/research/llms.txt>)

Data updated: 2026-08-15T05:00:01.149Z

Authors: Xiaoxu Zhong, Guillem Pratx

Published: 2026-07-31T23:59:17.000Z

## Abstract

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (\[18F\]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), combined with compartmental modeling, is a powerful non-invasive imaging method for assessing cellular metabolism. However, classical two- and three-tissue compartment models assume homogeneous \[18F\]FDG distribution within the tissue, which needs justification, and the definition and interpretation of rate constants across these models is not always consistent. To address these issues, we develop a finite difference solver to simulate \[18F\]FDG transport and metabolism within a 1 mm3 tissue volume, representing the smallest volume resolvable by PET. Our simulations reveal sub-millimeter heterogeneity in \[18F\]FDG distribution and show that the measured PET signal is dependent not only on cellular metabolic activity but also on interstitial \[18F\]FDG diffusivity, vascular permeability, and vascular architecture. We further demonstrate that our finite-difference simulation reduces to a three-tissue compartment model when interstitial \[18F\]FDG concentration is homogeneous. Furthermore, this simplified model itself reduces to the two-tissue compartment model when vascular permeability is sufficiently high. This work quantitatively links vascular permeability, vascular architecture, cellular uptake kinetics, \[18F\]FDG diffusivity, and acquisition time. It also unifies the two- and three-tissue compartment models and identifies their applicable regimes. These findings deepen our understanding of \[18F\]FDG transport kinetics and enhance the interpretability of dynamic \[18F\]FDG-PET imaging.

## Recorded benchmark results

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## Original sources and implementation

[Original paper](<https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.12386>)

[PDF](<https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.12386.pdf>)