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The interposition of a cleavable linkage by enzymes on the renal brush border membrane constitutes a promising approach for reducing the renal radioactivity levels of radiolabeled low-molecular-weight antibody fragments and constructs (LMW Abs). Herein, we applied the molecular design to 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-based reagents for radiotheranostic applications with trivalent radiometals. DOTA or a derivative thereof was conjugated to a Fab through an FGK linkage ([ 111 In]In-DO3A i Bu-Bn-FGK-Fab or [ 111 In]In-DOTA-Bn-FGK-Fab). When injected into mice, both generated radiometabolites, [ 111 In]In-DO3A i Bu-Bn-F and [ 111 In]In-DOTA-Bn-F, by the angiotensin-converting enzyme at similar rates. Both exhibited significantly lower renal radioactivity levels than a 111 In-labeled Fab prepared by the conventional procedure ([ 111 In]In-DOTA-Bn-SCN-Fab). The different elimination rates of each radiometabolite from the kidney significantly affected the renal radioactivity levels. [ 111 In]In-DO3A i Bu-Bn-FGK-Fab preferentially reduced the renal localization without impairing tumor accumulation. These findings would pave the way for developing a DOTA-based radiotheranostic platform for LMW Abs bearing cleavable linkers for renal brush border enzymes.

The high in vivo stability of 2,2-dihydroxymethyl-3-[ 18 F]fluoropropyl-2-nitroimidazole ([ 18 F]DiFA) prompted us to evaluate neopentyl as a scaffold to prepare a radiotheranostic system with radioiodine and astatine. Three DiFA analogues with one, two, or without a hydroxyl group were synthesized. While all 125 I-labeled compounds remained stable against nucleophilic substitution, only a 125 I-labeled neopentyl glycol was stable against cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolism and showed high stability against in vivo deiodination. 211 At-labeled neopentyl glycol also remained stable against both nucleophilic substitution and CYP-mediated metabolism. 211 At-labeled neopentyl glycol showed the biodistribution profiles similar to those of its radioiodinated counterpart in contrast to the 125 I/ 211 At-labeled benzoate pair. The urine analyses confirmed that 211 At-labeled neopentyl glycol was excreted in the urine as a glucuronide conjugate with the absence of free [ 211 At]At - . These findings indicate that neopentyl glycol would constitute a promising scaffold to prepare a radiotheranostic system with radioiodine and 211 At.

The obstructive renal radioactivity after injection of antibody fragments/constructs labeled with metallic radionuclides would be improved by liberating a radiometal chelate of urinary excretion from the antibody molecules by enzymes on the renal brush border membrane (BBM). A tripeptide GFK sequence was newly evaluated as an enzyme-cleavable linkage and conjugated to a 99m Tc chelate of an isonicotinic acid derivative of 2-picolylglycine ( 99m Tc-IPG). 99m Tc-IPG-glycine was liberated from 99m Tc-IPG-GFK by the enzymes, while 99m Tc-IPG-GK (where the tripeptide GFK was substituted with a dipeptide GK) did not. When injected into mice, 99m Tc-IPG-GFK-conjugated Fab exhibited lower renal radioactivity levels than directly radioiodinated Fab shortly after injection without reducing the tumor radioactivity levels, due to a release and excretion of 99m Tc-IPG-glycine by enzymes present on the renal BBM. These findings would provide insights to develop antibody fragments/constructs labeled with metallic radionuclides of the clinical relevance for improved renal radioactivity levels.

Metallic radionuclides provide target-specific radiolabeled probes for molecular imaging in radiochemical yields sufficient for administration to subjects without purification. However, unlabeled ligands in the injectate can compete for targeted molecules with radiolabeled probes, which eventually necessitates postlabeling purification. Herein we describe a "1 to 3" design to circumvent the issue by taking advantage of inherent coordination properties of technetium-99m ((99m)Tc). A monovalent RGD ligand possessing an isonitrile as a coordinating moiety (CN-RGD) was reacted with [(99m)Tc(CO)3(OH2)3](+) to prepare [(99m)Tc(CO)3(CN-RGD)3](+) in over 95% radiochemical yields. This complex exhibited higher integrin αvβ3 binding affinity than its unlabeled monovalent ligand, primarily due to its multivalency. This compound visualized a murine tumor without removing unlabeled ligands, while a (99m)Tc-labeled monovalent probe derived from a monovalent ligand could not. The metal coordination-mediated synthesis of radiolabeled multivalent probes thereby can be a useful approach for preparing ready-to-use target-specific probes labeled with (99m)Tc and other metallic radionuclides of interest.

The development of 99mTc-labeled fatty acid analogues metabolized by beta-oxidation in the myocardium constitutes an unsolved challenge. On the basis of our recent findings that [188Re]tricarbonyl(cyclopentadienylcarbonate)rhenium ([188Re]CpTR-COOH) was recognized as an aromatic compound and was metabolized as such in the body, [99mTc]cyclopentadienyltricarbonyltechnetium ([99mTc]CpTT) was conjugated at the omega-position of pentadecanoic acid to prepare [99mTc]CpTT-PA. When injected into rats, [99mTc]CpTT-PA exhibited the maximum myocardial accumulation and heart-to-blood ratio of 3.85 %ID/g at 1 min and 4.60 at 10 min postinjection, respectively. The metabolic study using isolated Langendorff perfused rat hearts demonstrated that approximately 67% of perfused [99mTc]CpTT-PA was incorporated and [99mTc]CpTT-propionic acid, the metabolite after six cycles of beta-oxidation of [99mTc]CpTT-PA, was detected as the major radiometabolite in the perfusate and myocardium. These findings indicate that [99mTc]CpTT-PA was recognized, transported, and metabolized as a long chain fatty acid analogue for energy production in the myocardium.

In vivo imaging of beta-amyloid (A beta) peptide aggregates in the brain may lead to early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and monitoring of the progression and effectiveness of AD treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop novel amyloid imaging agents based on flavone as a core structure. Radioiodinated flavone derivatives were designed and synthesized. The binding affinities of flavone derivatives for A beta aggregates varied from 13 to 77 nM. When in vitro plaque labeling was carried out using post-mortem AD brain sections, all flavones intensely stained not only amyloid plaques but also cerebrovascular amyloids. In biodistribution studies using normal mice, they displayed high brain uptakes ranging from 3.2 to 4.1% ID/g at 2 min postinjection. The radioactivity washed out from the brain rapidly (0.5-1.9% ID/g at 30 min), which is highly desirable for amyloid imaging agents. The results in the study suggest that these classes of radioiodinated flavones may be useful candidates as potential imaging agents for amyloid plaques.

The reduction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain has been measured in dementia disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies using (11)C-labeled acetylcholine analogues, N-[(11)C]methylpiperidin-4-yl acetate and propionate, and positron emission tomography (PET). Our aim was to develop an (18)F-labeled acetylcholine analogue useful for brain AChE mapping with PET, since (18)F, with a longer half-life, has advantages over (11)C. In a preliminary study, a series of N-[(14)C]ethylpiperidin-3-yl or -4-ylmethanol esters (acetyl and propionyl esters) were newly designed and evaluated in vitro regarding the reactivity with and specificity to AChE using purified human enzymes, leading to a novel (18)F-labeled acetylcholine analogue, N-[(18)F]fluoroethylpiperidin-4-ylmethyl acetate. In rat experiments, the (18)F-labeled candidate showed desirable properties for PET AChE measurement: high brain uptake of the authentic ester, high AChE specificity, a moderate hydrolysis rate, and low membrane permeability (metabolic trapping) of the metabolite.

Radiochemical design of polypeptides using metabolizable linkages would be attractive to enhance target-selective localization of radioactivity for diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. However, while use of ester bonds as the linkage allows selective release of the designed radiometabolite from covalently conjugated polypeptides after lysosomal proteolysis in nontarget tissues, low plasma stability of ester bonds causes a decrease in radioactivity levels of the target. In pursuit of new metabolizable linkages that provide stable attachment of radiolabels with polypeptide in plasma while facilitating rapid and selective release of designed radiometabolites of rapid urinary excretion in lysosomes, a new radioiodination reagent with L-lysine as the metabolizable linkage to liberate m-iodohippuric acid (L-HML) was designed and synthesized. Stabilities of the metabolizable linkage in serum and cleavabilities of the linkage in lysosomal proteolysis in hepatic cells were investigated after conjugation of [131I]-L-HML with galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA). For comparison, a radioiodination reagent with an ester bond to release m-iodohippuric acid (MIH) was conjugated with NGA under similar conditions. When incubated in human serum, [131I]-L-HML-NGA liberated less than 3% of the initial radioactivity after 24 h, whereas [125I]MIH-NGA released more than 60% of its radioactivity during the same interval. In biodistribution studies, [131I]-L-HML-NGA demonstrated radioactivity elimination from murine liver at a rate and excretion route similar to [125I]MIH-NGA. Analyses of murine urine after injection of [131I]-L-HML-NGA indicated a single radioactivity peak at fractions identical to those of m-iodohippuric acid. Biodistribution studies of radioiodinated NGAs with D-lysine or cadaverine as the linkages demonstrated a delayed elimination rate from murine liver with significantly higher radioactivity being excreted in the feces at 24 h postinjection. Thus, L-HML is the first reagent that allows stable attachment of radiolabel with polypeptide in serum while facilitating selective release of a radiometabolite with rapid urinary excretion from covalently conjugated polypeptides after lysosomal proteolysis at a rate similar to that of ester bonds. Thus, L-HML is potentially useful for the radioiodination of polypeptides for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

In pursuit of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with rapid urinary excretion of radioactivity from nontarget tissues, radioiodinated mAbs releasing a m-iodohippuric acid from the mAbs in nontarget tissues were designed. A novel reagent, maleimidoethyl 3-(tri-n-butylstannyl)hippurate (MIH), was synthesized by reacting N-(hydroxyethyl)maleimide with N-Boc-glycine before coupling with N-succinimidyl 3-(tri-n-butylstannyl)benzoate (ATE). MIH possessed a maleimide group for mAb conjugation and a butylstannyl moiety for high-yield and site-specific radioiodination, and the two functional groups were linked via an ester bond to release m-iodohippuric acid. To investigate the fate of radiolabels after lysosomal proteolysis, hepatic parenchymal cells were used as a model nontarget tissue and 131I-labeled MIH was conjugated with galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (NGA). Further conjugation of [131I]MIH with a mAb against osteogenic sarcoma (OST7) after reduction of its disulfide bonds was followed up. In murine biodistribution studies, [131I]MIH-NGA exhibited rapid accumulation in the liver followed by radioactivity elimination from the liver at a rate that was identical to and faster than those of 131I-labeled NGA via direct iodination ([131I]NGA) and [131I]ATE-labeled NGA, respectively. While [131I]NGA indicated high radioactivity levels in the murine neck, stomach, and blood, such increases in the radioactivity count were not detectable by the administration of either [131I]MIH-NGA or [131I]ATE-NGA. At 6 h postinjection of [131I]MIH-NGA, 80% of the injected radioactivity was recovered in the urine. Analyses of urine samples indicated that m-iodohippuric acid was the sole radiolabeled metabolite. In biodistribution studies using [131I]-MIH-OST7 and [131I]ATE-OST7, while both 131I-labeled OST7s registered almost identical radioactivity levels in the blood up to 6 h postinjection, the former demonstrated a lower radioactivity level than [131I]ATE-OST7 in nontarget tissues throughout the experiment. Such chemical and biological characteristics of MIH would enable high target/nontarget ratios in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine using mAbs and other polypeptides.