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Copper-64 (64Cu, t 1/2 = 12.7 h) is a positron emitter well suited for theranostic applications with beta-emitting 67Cu for targeted molecular imaging and radionuclide therapy. The present work aims to evaluate the radionuclidic purity and radiochemistry of 64Cu produced via the 68Zn(p,nα)64Cu nuclear reaction. Macrocyclic chelators DOTA, NOTA, TETA, and prostate-specific membrane antigen ligand PSMA I&T were radiolabeled with purified 64Cu and tested for in vitro stability. [64Cu]Cu-PSMA I&T was used to demonstrate in vivo PET imaging using 64Cu synthesized via the 68Zn(p,nα)64Cu production route and its suitability as a theranostic imaging partner alongside 67Cu therapy. 64Cu was produced on a 24 MeV TR-24 cyclotron at a beam energy of 23.5 MeV and currents up to 70 μA using 200 mg 68Zn encapsulated within an aluminum‑indium-graphite sealed solid target assembly. 64Cu semi-automated purification was performed using a NEPTIS Mosaic-LC synthesis unit employing CU, TBP, and TK201 (TrisKem) resins. Radionuclidic purity was measured by HPGe gamma spectroscopy, while ICP-OES assessed elemental purity. Radiolabeling was performed with NOTA at room temperature and DOTA, TETA, and PSMA I&T at 95 °C. 64Cu incorporation was studied by radio-TLC. 64Cu in vitro stability of [64Cu]Cu-NOTA, [64Cu]Cu-DOTA, [64Cu]Cu-TETA, and [64Cu]Cu-PSMA I&T was assessed at 37 °C from 0 to 72 h in human blood serum. Preclinical PET imaging was performed at 1, 24, and 48 h post-injection with [64Cu]Cu-PSMA I&T in LNCaP tumor-bearing mice and compared with [68Ga]Ga-PSMA I&T. Maximum purified activity of 4.9 GBq [64Cu]CuCl 2 was obtained in 5 mL of pH 2–3 solution, with 2.9 GBq 64Cu concentrated in 0.5 mL. HPGe gamma spectroscopy of purified 64Cu detected <0.3 % co-produced 67Cu at EOB with no other radionuclidic impurities. ICP-OES elemental analysis determined <1 ppm Al, Zn, In, Fe, and Cu in the [64Cu]CuCl 2 product. NOTA, DOTA, TETA, and PSMA I&T were radiolabeled with 64Cu, resulting in maximum molar activities of 164 ± 6 GBq/μmol, 155 ± 31 GBq/μmol, 266 ± 34 GBq/μmol, and 117 ± 2 GBq/μmol, respectively. PET imaging in PSMA-expressing LNCaP xenografts resulted in high tumor uptake (SUV mean = 1.65 ± 0.1) using [64Cu]Cu-PSMA I&T, while [68Ga]Ga-PSMA I&T yielded an SUV mean of 0.76 ± 0.14 after 60 min post-injection. 64Cu was purified in a small volume amenable for radiolabeling, with yields suitable for preclinical and clinical application. The 64Cu production and purification process and the favourable PET imaging properties confirm the 68Zn(p,nα)64Cu nuclear reaction as a viable 64Cu production route for facilities with access to a higher energy proton cyclotron, compared to using expensive 64Ni target material and the 64Ni(p,n)64Cu nuclear reaction. Our 64Cu production technique provides an alternative production route with the potential to improve 64Cu availability for preclinical and clinical studies alongside 67Cu therapy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium-68 is an important radionuclide for positron emission tomography (PET) with steadily increasing applications of 68Ga-based radiopharmaceuticals for clinical use. Current 68Ga sources are primarily 68Ge/68Ga-generators, along with successful attempts of 68Ga production using a cyclotron. This study evaluated cyclotron 68Ga production and automated separation using expeditiously manufactured solid targets, demonstrates an order of magnitude improvement in yield compared to 68Ge/68Ga generators, and presents a convenient alternative to existing cyclotron production processes. A comparison of radiolabeling and preclinical PET imaging was performed with both cyclotron and generator produced 68Ga. 100 mg enriched 68Zn (99.3% 68Zn, 0.48% 67Zn, 0.1% 66Zn) pellets pressed on silver discs were bombarded for 20–75 min using 12.5 MeV proton beam energies and 10–30 μA currents. 68Ga was separated using an automated TRASIS AllinOne synthesizer employing AG 50W-X8 and UTEVA resins. Post-separation recovery of the 68Zn by electrolysis yielded 76.7 ± 4.3%. Radionuclidic purity of cyclotron-produced 68Ga was investigated with gamma spectroscopy using a HPGe-detector. Radiolabeling was investigated using the macrocyclic chelator DOTA and the bombesin-derived peptide NOTA-BBN2. PET imaging was performed using [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-BBN2 in a PC3 xenograft model. 600 μA·min fresh and recycled quadruplet 68Zn target irradiations (n = 8) at 12.5 MeV and 30 μA yielded 13.9 ± 1.0 GBq 68Ga; 2200 μA·min irradiations (n = 3) yielded 37.5 ± 1.9 GBq 68Ga. HPGe analysis showed EOB 0.0074% and 0.0084% of total activity of 66Ga and 67Ga, respectively. Metal impurities were 0.06 ± 0.03 μg/GBq Zn, 0.13 ± 0.007 μg/GBq Fe, and 0.02 ± 0.01 μg/GBq Al for cyclotron 68Ga. Cyclotron and 68Ge/68Ga generator 68Ga respective DOTA and NOTA-BBN2 labeling incorporations were 99.4 ± 0.0% and 99.3 ± 0.2%, and 90.4 ± 1.5% and 93.0 ± 3.6% determined by radio-thin layer chromatography (radio-TLC). Preclinical PET imaging comparison between generator and cyclotron produced 68Ga showed identical radiotracer tumor uptake and biodistribution profiles in PC3 tumor bearing mice. Cyclotron 68Ga production provides highly scalable production with equivalent or superior quality 68Ga to a 68Ge/68Ga generator, while providing identical biodistribution and tumor uptake profiles. Our described targetry is simpler and more cost-effective than existing liquid and solid targetry, enabling a turnkey production system for multi-facility distribution of cyclotron produced 68Ga. The manufacturing simplicity described has potential applications for producing other radiometals such as 44Sc. Our cost-effective method of solid target 68Ga production can enhance 68Ga production capabilities to meet the high demand for 68Ga-radiopharmaceuticals for research and clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Non-invasive imaging of COX-2 in cancer represents a powerful tool for assessing COX-2-mediated effects on chemoprevention and radiosensitization using potent and selective COX-2 inhibitors as an emerging class of anticancer drugs. Careful assessment of the pharmacokinetic profile of radiolabeled COX-2 inhibitors is of crucial importance for the development of suitable radiotracers for COX-2 imaging in vivo . The delicate balance between the selection of typical COX-2 pharmacophores and the resulting physicochemical characteristics of the COX-2 inhibitor represents a formidable challenge for the search of radiolabeled COX-2 imaging agents. Several pyrimidine-based COX-2 inhibitors demonstrated favorable in vitro and in vivo COX-2 imaging properties in various COX-2 expressing cancer cell lines. Here, we describe a comparative radiopharmacological study of three 18 F-labeled COX-2 inhibitors based on a pyrimidine scaffold. The objective of this study was to investigate how subtle structural alterations influence the pharmacokinetic profile of lead compound [ 18 F ] 1a ([ 18 F]Pyricoxib) to afford 18 F-labeled pyrimidine-based COX-2 inhibitors with improved COX-2 imaging properties in vivo . Methods Radiosynthesis of radiotracers was accomplished through reaction with 4-[ 18 F]fluorobenzyl amine on a methyl-sulfone labeling precursor ([ 18 F ] 1a and [ 18 F] 2a ) or late-stage radiofluorination using a iodyl-containing labeling precursor ([ 18 F ] 3a ). Radiopharmacological profile of 18 F-labeled pyrimidine-based COX-2 inhibitors [ 18 F ] 1a , [ 18 F ] 2a and [ 18 F ] 3a was studied in COX-2-expressing human HCA-7 colorectal cancer cell line, including cellular uptake studies in HCA-7 cells and dynamic PET imaging studies in HCA-7 xenografts. Results Cellular uptake of radiotracers [ 18 F ] 2a and [ 18 F ] 3a in HCA-7 cells was 450% and 300% radioactivity/mg protein, respectively, after 90 min incubation, compared to 600% radioactivity/mg protein for radiotracer [ 18 F ] 1a . Dynamic PET imaging studies revealed a tumor SUV of 0.53 ([ 18 F ] 2a ) and 0.54 ([ 18 F ] 3a ) after 60 min p.i. with a tumor-to-muscle ratio of ~1. Tumor SUV for [ 18 F ] 1a (60 min p.i.) was 0.76 and a tumor-to-muscle ratio of ~1.5. Pyricoxib analogues [ 18 F ] 2a and [ 18 F ] 3a showed distinct pharmacokinetic profiles in comparison to lead compound [ 18 F ] 1a with a significantly improved lung clearance pattern. Replacing the 4-[ 18 F]fluorobenzyl amine motif in radiotracer [ 18 F ] 1a with a 4-[ 18 F]fluorobenzyl alcohol motif in radiotracer [ 18 F ] 3a resulted in re-routing of the metabolic pathway as demonstrated by a more rapid liver clearance and higher initial kidney uptake and more rapid kidney clearance compared to radiotracers [ 18 F ] 1a and [ 18 F ] 2a . Moreover, radiotracer [ 18 F ] 3a displayed favorable rapid brain uptake and retention. Conclusion The radiopharmacological profile of three 18 F-labeled COX-2 inhibitors based on a pyrimidine scaffold were evaluated in COX-2 expressing human colorectal cancer cell line HCA-7 and HCA-7 xenografts in mice. Despite the overall structural similarity and comparable COX-2 inhibitory potency of all three radiotracers, subtle structural alterations led to significantly different in vitro and in vivo metabolic profiles. Advances in knowledge Among all tested pyrimidine-based 18 F-labeled COX-2 inhibitors, lead compound [ 18 F ] 1a remains the most suitable radiotracer for assessing COX-2 expression in vivo . Radiotracer [ 18 F ] 3a showed significantly improved first pass pulmonary passage in comparison to radiotracer [ 18 F ] 1a and might represents a promising lead compound for the development of radiotracers for PET imaging of COX-2 in neuroinflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Several clinical studies have shown low or no expression of GLUT1 in breast cancer patients, which may account for the low clinical specificity and sensitivity of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) used in positron emission tomography (PET). Therefore, it has been proposed that other tumor characteristics such as the high expression of GLUT2 and GLUT5 in many breast tumors could be used to develop alternative strategies to detect breast cancer. Here we have studied the in vitro and in vivo radiopharmacological profile of 6-deoxy-6-[18F]fluoro-d-fructose (6-[18F]FDF) as a potential PET radiotracer to image GLUT5 expression in breast cancers. Methods: Uptake of 6-[18F]FDF was studied in murine EMT-6 and human MCF-7 breast cancer cells over 60 min and compared to [18F]FDG. Biodistribution of 6-[18F]FDF was determined in BALB/c mice. Tumor uptake was studied with dynamic small animal PET in EMT-6 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice and human xenograft MCF-7 tumor-bearing NIH-III mice in comparison to [18F]FDG. 6-[18F]FDF metabolism was investigated in mouse blood and urine. Results: 6-[18F]FDF is taken up by EMT-6 and MCF-7 breast tumor cells independent of extracellular glucose levels but dependent on the extracellular concentration of fructose. After 60 min, 30±4% (n=9) and 12±1% (n=7) ID/mg protein 6-[18F]FDF was found in EMT-6 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. 6-deoxy-6-fluoro-d-fructose had a 10-fold higher potency than fructose to inhibit 6-[18F]FDF uptake into EMT-6 cells. Biodistribution in normal mice revealed radioactivity uptake in bone and brain. Radioactivity was accumulated in EMT-6 tumors reaching 3.65±0.30% ID/g (n=3) at 5 min post injection and decreasing to 1.75±0.03% ID/g (n=3) at 120 min post injection. Dynamic small animal PET showed significantly lower radioactivity uptake after 15 min post injection in MCF-7 tumors [standard uptake value (SUV)=0.76±0.05; n=3] compared to EMT-6 tumors (SUV=1.23±0.09; n=3). Interestingly, [18F]FDG uptake was significantly different in MCF-7 tumors (SUV15 min 0.74±0.12 to SUV120 min 0.80±0.15; n=3) versus EMT-6 tumors (SUV 15 min 1.01±0.33 to SUV 120 min 1.80±0.25; n=3). 6-[18F]FDF was shown to be a substrate for recombinant human ketohexokinase, and it was metabolized rapidly in vivo. Conclusion: Based on the GLUT5 specific transport and phosphorylation by ketohexokinase, 6-[18F]FDF may represent a novel radiotracer for PET imaging of GLUT5 and ketohexokinase-expressing tumors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Introduction: Microfluidic technology allows fast reactions in a simple experimental setup, while using very low volumes and amounts of starting material. Consequently, microfluidic technology is an ideal tool for radiolabeling reactions involving short-lived positron emitters. Optimization of the complex array of different reaction conditions requires knowledge of the different reaction parameters linked to the microfluidic system as well as their influence on the radiochemical yields. 1-(5-Deoxy-5-fluoro-α-d-arabinofuranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole ([18F]FAZA) is a frequently used radiotracer for PET imaging of tumor hypoxia. The present study describes the radiosynthesis of [18F]FAZA by means of microfluidic technology and subsequent small animal PET imaging in EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice. Methods: Radiosyntheses were performed using the NanoTek Microfluidic Synthesis System (Advion BioSciences, Inc.). Optimal reaction conditions were studied through screening different reaction parameters like temperature, flow rate, residency time, concentration of the labeling precursor (1-(2,3-di-O-acetyl-5-O-tosyl-α-d-arabinofuranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole) and the applied volume ratio between the labeling precursor and [18F]fluoride. Results: Optimized reaction conditions at low radioactivity levels (1 to 50 MBq) afforded 63% (decay-corrected) of HPLC-purified [18F]FAZA within 25 min. Higher radioactivity levels (0.4 to 2.1 GBq) gave HPLC-purified [18F]FAZA in radiochemical yields of 40% (decay-corrected) within 60 min at a specific activity in the range of 70 to 150 GBq/μmol. Small animal PET studies in EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice showed radioactivity accumulation in the tumor (SUV20min 0.74 ± 0.08) resulting in an increasing tumor-to-muscle ratio over time. Conclusions: Microfluidic technology is an ideal method for the rapid and efficient radiosynthesis of [18F]FAZA for preclinical radiopharmacological studies. Careful analysis of various reaction parameters is an important requirement for the understanding of the influence of different reaction parameters on the radiochemical yield using microfluidic technology. Exploration of microfluidic technology for the radiosynthesis of other PET radiotracers in clinically relevant radioactivity levels is currently in progress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]