CONJUGATES DERIVED FROM NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF IN IMAGING

Conjugates derived from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and methods of use thereof are disclosed, useful for, inter alia, identifying and localizing the site of pathology and/or inflammation responsible for the sensation of pain in a patient; for identifying the sites of primary, secondary, benign, or malignant tumors; and for diagnosing infection or confirming or ruling out suspected infection. The NSAID-based conjugates contain an imaging moiety. The conjugates concentrate at sites of increased cyclooxygenase expression, thus revealing the sites of increased prostaglandin production, which is correlated with pain and inflammation, and correlated with tumor presence and/or location. Identifying areas of increased COX expressing can also aid in screening for infections.