Search

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this pilot study was to explore the impact of peptide mass on binding of [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC to neuroendocrine tumour somatostatin receptors in vivo using a tracer of variable specific radioactivity (SRA) and to show the logistic feasibility of sequential PET scans in the same patient. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours were included. Six of them underwent three sequential PET-CT examinations with intravenous injections of [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC proceeded by 0, 50 and 250 or 500 microg of octreotide, administered 10 min before the tracer. Three patients were examined by dynamic and static PET/CT for pharmacokinetic and dosimetric calculations. The [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC synthesis included preconcentration and purification of the generator eluate and microwave heating in a semi-automated in-house procedure. RESULTS: [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC synthesis and quality control were accomplished within 30 min and radiochemical purity was >95%. The tracer accumulation in the tumours varied and depended on the total amount of the administered peptide. In five of six patients, the highest tumour-to-normal tissue ratio was found when 50 microg of octreotide was preadministered. One patient showed a continuously increasing tumour uptake. Dosimetrically, a large variation in organ doses was found (kidney: 0.086-0.168 mSv/MBq; liver: 0.026-0.096 mSv/MBq; spleen: 0.046-0.226 mSv/MBq). The effective dose (0.015, 0.0067 and 0.0042 mSv/MBq) was correlated to the total amount of decays. DISCUSSION: Three sequential PET-CT examinations using (68)Ga-based tracer was carried out in 1 day. The use of high SRA [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC and unlabelled octreotide indicates an optimal mass leading to better image contrast. [(68)Ga]-DOTATOC-PET-CT employing variable SRA may be utilised for accurate quantification of tumour uptake with subsequent dosimetry for personalized therapy management.

In recent years, targeted radionuclide therapy with [Lu-177-DOTA(0), Tyr(3)]octreotate for neuroendocrine tumours has yielded promising results. This therapy may be further improved by using individualized dosimetry allowing optimization of the absorbed dose to the tumours and the normal organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and reliability of individualized dosimetry based on SPECT in comparison to conventional planar imaging. Attenuation-corrected SPECT data were analysed both by using organ-based volumes of interest (VOIs) to obtain the total radioactivity in the organ, and by using small VOIs to measure the tissue radioactivity concentration. During the first treatment session in 24 patients, imaging was performed 1, 24, 96 and 168 h after [Lu-177-DOTA(0), Tyr(3)]octreotate infusion. Absorbed doses in non tumour-affected kidney, liver and spleen were calculated and compared for all three methods (planar imaging, SPECT organ VOIs, SPECT small VOIs). Planar and SPECT dosimetry were comparable in areas free of tumours, but due to overlap the planar dosimetry highly overestimated the absorbed dose in organs with tumours. Furthermore, SPECT dosimetry based on small VOIs proved to be more reliable than whole-organ dosimetry. We conclude that SPECT dosimetry based on small VOIs is feasible and more accurate than conventional planar dosimetry, and thus may contribute towards optimising targeted radionuclide therapy.

AIM: Radionuclide imaging of the HER2 receptor, which is a target for trastuzumab therapy, can provide important diagnostic information. Further, targeting radionuclide therapy might be an option for treatment of HER2 expressing tumors. The phage-display selected Affibody ligand Z(HER2:342), which binds to HER2 with an affinity of 22 pM, may here play an important role. The small size of the Z(HER2:342), 7.5 kDa, enables quick tumor localization and fast blood clearance. Earlier, successful targeting of HER2-expressing xenografts using Z(HER2:342) labeled using [(111)In]benzyl-DTPA was reported. By changing to the CHX-A''-DTPA chelator, the stability and labeling kinetics of the radiometal-Z(HER2:342) conjugate can be improved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the labeling of the CHX-A''-DTPA-Z(HER2:342) conjugate with (111)In for diagnostic imaging and with (114m)In for locoregional radionuclide therapy. METHODS: The isothiocyanate derivative of CHX-A''-DTPA was coupled to Z(HER2:342) in alkaline conditions at 37 degrees C. The conjugate was labeled with both (111)In and (114m)In and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Labeling with (111)In and (114m)In provided >95% yield after 30 min at RT. Specific radioactivity was 0.5 and 12 MBq/nmol, for (114m)In and (111)In, respectively. The radiolabeled conjugates demonstrated specific binding to HER2 expressing SKOV-3 cells. In mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts, the tumor uptake of [(111)In]CHX-A''-DTPA-Z(HER2:342) 4 h postinjection was 10.3+/-3.6% IA/g and tumor-to-blood ratio about 190. CONCLUSION: [(111)In]CHX-A''-DTPA-Z(HER2:342) is a promising candidate for the visualization of HER2 expression in malignant tumors. Labeled with (114m)In it could also be used for locoregional treatment of HER2 expressing tumors.

The use of charged linkers in attaching radiohalogens to tumor-seeking biomolecules may improve intracellular retention of the radioactive label after internalization and degradation of targeting proteins. Derivatives of polyhedral boron clusters, such as closo-dodecaborate (2-) anion, might be possible charged linkers. In this study, a bifunctional derivative of closo-dodecaborate, (4-isothiocyanatobenzyl-ammonio)-undecahydro-closo-dodecaborate (DABI) was labeled with positron-emitting nuclide (76)Br (T 1/2 = 16.2 h) and coupled to anti-HER2/neu humanized antibody Trastuzumab. The overall labeling yield at optimized conditions was 80.7 +/- 0.6%. The label was proven to be stable in vitro in physiological and a set of denaturing conditions. The labeled antibody retained its capacity to bind to HER-2/neu antigen expressing cells. The results of the study demonstrated feasibility for using derivatives of closo-dodecaborate in indirect labeling of antibodies for radioimmunoPET.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the HER2 expression in breast cancer is retained in metastases. The HER2 expression in primary tumours and the corresponding lymph node metastases were evaluated in parallel samples from 47 patients. The HercepTest was used for immunohistochemical analyses of HER2 overexpression in all cases. CISH/FISH was used for analysis of gene amplification in some cases. HER2 overexpression (HER2-scores 2+ or 3+) was found in 55% of both the primary tumours and of the lymph node metastases. There were only small changes in the HER2-scores; six from 1+ to 0 and one from 3+ to 2+ when the metastases were compared to the corresponding primary tumours. However, there were no cases with drastic changes in HER2 expression between the primary tumours and the corresponding lymph node metastases. The literature was reviewed for similar investigations, and it is concluded that breast cancer lymph node metastases generally overexpress HER2 to the same extent as the corresponding primary tumours. This also seems to be the case when distant metastases are considered. It has been noted that not all patients with HER2 overexpression respond to HER2-targeted Trastuzumab treatment. The stability in HER2 expression is encouraging for efforts to develop complementary forms of therapy, for example, therapy with radionuclide-labelled Trastuzumab.

Advances in diagnostics and targeted radionuclide therapy of haematological and neuroendocrine tumours have raised hope for improved radionuclide therapy of other forms of disseminated tumours. New molecular target structures are characterized and this stimulates the efforts to develop new radiolabelled targeting agents. There is also improved understanding of factors of importance for choice of appropriate radionuclides. The choice is determined by physical, chemical, biological, and economic factors, such as a character of emitted radiation, physical half-life, labelling chemistry, chemical stability of the label, intracellular retention time, and fate of radiocatabolites and availability of the radionuclide. There is actually limited availability of suitable radionuclides and this is a limiting factor for further progress in the field and this is the focus in this article. The probably most promising therapeutic radionuclide, 211At, requires regional production and distribution centres with dedicated cyclotrons. Such centres are, with a few exceptions in the world, lacking today. They can be designed to also produce beta- and Augeremitters of therapeutic interest. Furthermore, emerging satellite PET scanners will in the near future demand long-lived positron emitters for diagnostics with macromolecular radiopharmaceuticals, and these can also be produced at such centres. To secure continued development and to meet the foreseen requirements for radionuclide availability from the medical community it is necessary to establish specialized cyclotron centres for radionuclide production.

An important application of quantitative imaging in nuclear medicine is the estimation of absorbed doses in radionuclide therapy. Depending on the radionuclide used for therapy, quantitative imaging of the kinetics of the therapeutic radiopharmaceutical could be done using planar imaging, SPECT or PET. Since many nuclear medicine departments have a gamma camera system that is also suitable for coincidence imaging, the performance of these systems with respect to quantitative imaging of PET isotopes that could be of use in radionuclide dosimetry is of interest. We investigated the performance of a gamma camera with coincidence imaging capabilities with 99mTc, 111In, 18F and 76Br and a dedicated PET system with 18F and 76Br, using a single standard set of phantom measurements. Here, 76Br was taken as a typical example of prompt gamma-emitting PET isotopes that are applicable in radionuclide therapy dosimetry such as 86Y and 124I. Image quality measurements show comparable image contrasts for 76Br coincidence imaging and 111In SPECT. Although the spatial resolution of coincidence imaging is better than single photon imaging, the contrast obtained with 76Br is not better than that with 99mTc or 111In because of the prompt gamma involved. Additional improvements are necessary to allow for quantitative coincidence imaging of long-lived, prompt gamma producing positron emitters.

Polysaccharides are not degradable by proteolytic enzymes in lysosomes and do not diffuse through cellular membranes. Thus, attached to an internalizing, targeting protein, such polysaccharide linkers, will remain intracellularly after protein degradation. They can be labeled with halogens and provide then a so called residualizing label. Such an approach improves tumor-to-non-tumor radioactivity ratio and, consequently, the results of radionuclide diagnostics and therapy. In this study we present a new approach to obtain a stable halogenation of the polysaccharide dextran using 7-(3-amino-propyl)-7,8-dicarba-nido-undecaborate (-) (ANC). Dextran T10 was partially oxidized by metaperiodate, and ANC was coupled to dextran by reductive amination. The conjugate was then labeled with 125I using either Chloramine-T or IodoGen as oxidants. Labeling efficiency was 69-85%. Stability of the label was evaluated in rat liver homogenates. Under these conditions, the ANC-dextran conjugate was found to be more stable than labeled albumin, which was used as a control protein.

Specific targeting of radionuclides is a promising approach to improve diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Targeting vectors may be monoclonal antibodies directed toward tumour-specific antigens or regulatory peptides binding to receptors overexpressed on or by malignant cells. Depending on the aim of the procedure and the biokinetics of the targeting vectors, radionuclides with different nuclear properties (decay scheme, half-life, etc.) must be applied. Halogen radioisotopes are attractive since they exhibit a variety of nuclear properties suitable for various applications. At the same time, their chemistry shows great similarities, which enables the use of similar labelling procedures for different nuclides. A problem in using radiohalogens for labelling of tumour-targeting proteins and peptides is that the commonly used radiohalogenation methods provide labels, which, after internalisation and lysosomal digestion, rapidly "leak" from malignant cells as radiohalogenated degradation products. The main reason for such leakage is free diffusion of the radiometabolites through lysosomal and cellular membranes. This review describes current approaches in molecular design to improve cellular retention of radiohalogen labels. These approaches include the use of prosthetic groups for the attachment of radiohalogens to targeting vectors of bulky hydrophilic non-charged molecules, molecules positively charged at lysosomal pH and negatively charged molecules. The emphasis in this paper is on labelling chemistry and the results of the biological testing of labelled compounds.

We have investigated a method for direct astatine labeling of proteins. Binding sites for astatine were created by coupling of a nido-carborane derivative to a protein, the human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), using two different conjugation methods - by glutaraldehyde cross-linking or by introduction of sulfohydryl groups by Traut's reagent with subsequent linking of ANC-1 with m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide ester. The conjugates were astatinated using the Chloramine-T method in high yield. The best labeling was obtained by the glutaraldehyde conjugate with an average yield of 68±9%. In vitro stability tests indicated that the glutaraldehyde conjugated label was as stable as hEGF labeled with astatobenzoate.

Closo-dodecaborate dianion is a three-dimensional aromatic inorganic molecule, which can be easily halogenated forming a stable halogen-boron bond. Derivatives of closo-dodecaborate were considered as a convenient chemical form of delivery of enriched 10B to malignant tumors for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Some properties of closo-dodecaborate (hydrophilicity, strength of halogen-boron bond, charge at lysosomal pH) make it attractive as a potential prosthetic group for attachment of radioactive halogens to tumor-targeting proteins. Bromine radioisotopes possess a variety of useful nuclear characteristics, and can be used in different areas of clinical diagnostics and therapy. In this work, a basic chemistry of closo-dodecaborate radiobromination was studied. It was found, that di(triethylamonium) dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate can be labelled in high yield, more then 90%, in a wide pH range. By decreasing the pH, the bromination can be directed to closo-dodecaborate in the presence of phenolic compounds. The results of the study indicate a possibility of using the radioactive bromine label for investigation of pharmacokinetics of boronated compounds for BNCT.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the elimination of stabilised hyaluronan following intra-articular injection into the knee joint. DESIGN: This was a single-centre, single-dose study in healthy human volunteers. PARTICIPANTS: Six healthy men, aged 28 to 47 (mean 38) years, were enrolled in the study. METHODS: Subjects received a single intra-articular injection (3ml; 20 mg/ml) of (131)I-labelled non-animal stabilised hyaluronic acid (NASHA). Radioactivity in the knee, blood, urine and over the liver was measured with gamma counters for 3 weeks post-injection; magnetic resonance and gamma camera imaging of the knee were also performed at 24 hours post-injection. Radioactivity uptake data were tested for conformity of fit to different mathematical models. RESULTS: Elimination of (131)I-labelled NASHA from the knee was characterised by a fast initial phase and a slow late phase, and conformed to a three-exponential-function model with elimination half-lives of 1.5 hours, 1.5 days and 4 weeks. Radioactivity distribution within the knee joint was homogenous, and no local leakage was observed. Hepatic radioactivity uptake was low, but significantly above background levels, for the first 2 days post-injection, before declining to background levels. Visual imaging indicated an increase in intra-articular fluid volume at 24 hours post-injection. CONCLUSIONS: The elimination kinetics of (131)I-labelled NASHA from the human knee joint were described by three distinct phases, with half-times of 1.5 hours, 1.5 days and 4 weeks. Most likely, the last value reflects the true half-life of NASHA following intra-articular injection since the labelling method used causes minimal modification of hyaluronan.

Ingår i avhandling: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-1908

Several positron emitting nuclides with applications in PET, such as 76Br, 124I, 110In and 86Y, also emit gamma radiation in their decays. Measured coincidences between annihilation photons and this cascade gamma radiation are essentially true coincidences and the standard PET corrections do not account for them. We investigated the performance of 76Br in 2D and 3D PET, the effect of the gamma radiation emitted by 76Br on quantitative accuracy and the distribution of cascade gamma radiation coincidences in 2D and 3D PET sinograms. A correction method for cascade gamma radiation coincidences was implemented and evaluated. Count rate linearity was affected by the gamma radiation from the 76Br decay. Spatial resolution and sphere recovery were slightly worse for 76Br compared to 18F. Correction for cascade gamma radiation coincidences by subtraction of a linear projection tail fit improved total correction accuracy to similar values as for positron-only emitters such as 18F, and improved image contrast significantly.

The somatostatin analog diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-D-Phe1-octreotide labeled with 111In has been applied extensively for diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors using SPECT or planar scintigraphy. However, the spatial resolution of planar scintigraphy and SPECT prohibits imaging of small tumors, and the quantification accuracy of both methods is limited. METHODS: We developed a method to prepare the positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical 110mIn-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide based on a commercially available kit. Phantom studies were done to investigate and compare the performance of 110mIn PET and 111In SPECT. A clinical imaging study using 110mIn-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide and PET was done to investigate the application of this radiopharmaceutical. RESULTS: An almost 3-fold better resolution and much better quantitative capabilities were found for 110mIn PET than for 111In SPECT. The clinical imaging study demonstrated the potential use of 110mIn-octreotide in PET to image tumors and quantify radioactivity uptake in humans using (110m)In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide. CONCLUSION: PET with 110mIn-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide greatly improved detection of small tumors and offers a possibility of more accurate quantification of tumor uptake than can be obtained with 111In-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide and SPECT.

Biologically active peptides have during the last decades made their way into conventional nuclear medicine diagnosis using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and gamma-camera. Several clinical trails are also investigating the role of radiolabeled peptides for targeting radionuclide therapy. This has raised the question as to whether positron emission tomography (PET) can be used in order to obtain better quantitative information of the peptide distribution in tumor and healthy organs, i.e., to get a better dosimetry. Positron emitting analogs of the therapeutic radionuclides used have been produced and successfully applied in peptide pharmacokinetic measurements with PET. But the recent boom in (18)FDG-PET ((18)FDG = [(18)F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose), and with this a worldwide increasing number of PET systems, has also inspired several research groups to hunt for alternative labels to be used for peptide diagnostics and PET. The rapid kinetic of short peptides agrees well with the short half-lives of standard PET nuclides like (11)C and (18)F. Especially, (18)F appears to be excellent for labeling bioactive peptides due to its favorable physical and nuclear characteristics. However, with present techniques labeling peptides with (18)F is laborious and time-consuming, and is not yet a clinical alternative. Other halogens like (75, 76)Br and (124)I are, from the chemical point of view, easier to apply. But an even better labeling alternative may be positron emitting metal ions like (55)Co, (68)Ga, and (110m)In since they tend to give better intracellular retention and thus a better signal-to-background ratio than the halogen labels. The main drawback with these radionuclides is that they are not readily available. Some of these radionuclides also emit gamma in their decay that may affect the measuring properties of the PET equipment. This article reviews mainly the present situation of production and use of nonconventional positron emitters for pept

We propose the use of the Auger electron and positron-emitting generator 134Ce/134La (half-lives 3.16 d and 6.45 min) for radionuclide therapy. It combines emission of high-energy beta particles with Auger electrons. The high-energy beta particles have similar energies as those emitted by 90Y. Many cancer patients receiving radionuclide therapy have both bulk tumours, which are best treated with high-energy beta particles, and single spread cells or micrometastasis, which are preferably treated with low-energy electrons such as Auger and conversion electrons. Furthermore, the positron-emitting 134La can be used to study kinetics and dosimetry using PET. Production and PET performance were investigated and theoretical dosimetry calculations were made. PET resolution, recovery and quantitative accuracy were slightly degraded for 134La compared to 18F. 134Ce/134La absorbed doses to single cells were higher than absorbed doses from 90Y and 111In. Absorbed doses to spheres representing bulk tumours were almost as high as for 90Y, and a factor 10 higher than for 111In. Whole-body absorbed doses, based on kinetics of the somatostatin analogue octreotide, were higher for 134Ce/134La than for 90Y because of the 134La annihilation photons. This initial study of the therapeutic possibilities of 134Ce/134La is encouraging and justifies further investigations.

Positron-emitting isotopes of arsenic, 70As (T 1/2 = 53 min), 71As (T 1/2 = 64 h), 72As (T 1/2 = 26 h), and 73As (T 1/2 = 17.8 d) are of interest in biomedical investigations using PET. A fast and simple method for their production using low-energy proton and deuteron reactions on enriched Ge-targets is presented. Dry distillation of GeO2 at 1105 °C during 2 hours provides a separation efficiency of more than 60%. The loss of target material is less than one per cent and the irradiated targets can be used several times. The method allows production of diagnostically useful amounts of positron-emitting arsenic isotopes using accelerators commonly available at PET-centres.

[111In]-DTPA-D-Phe1-octreotide (OctreoScan®, Mallinkrodt) is widely used for detection of neuroendocrine tumors and has lately been proposed for radionuclide therapy. We found, using HPLC and a GF-250 column (Zorbax®, Hewlett Packard), that OctreoScan® can be separated in two radiolabeled components of about equal amount. The analytical conditions for a quantitative isolation indicate that the two-peptide components of OctreoScan®have different lipophilicity. The isolated components are stable and do not transform into each other at room temperature during 6 hours (shelf-life of OctreoScan®).

Monoclonal antibody 38S1 was radiobrominated with the positron emitter (76)Br (T(1/2) = 16.2 h). Indirect labeling was performed using N-succinimidyl para-(tri-methylstannyl)benzoate (SPMB) as the precursor molecule. SPMB was labeled using Chloramine-T yielding N-succinimidyl para-[(76)Br]bromobenzoate, which was then conjugated to the antibody. Optimization of the labeling conditions and further conjugation gave a total yield ( mean+/-max error) of 49+/-2%. The immunoreactivity of the antibodies was retained after labeling. Thus, antibodies intended for positron emission tomography can be labeled with (76)Br, which gives high yields and preserved immunoreactivity when using the SPMB technique described.

Closo-dodecarborate (2-) was proposed as a prosthetic group for direct labelling of proteins with 211At for radionuclide therapy. Astatination of closo-dodecarborate (2-) anion using Chloramine-T was studied, and the influence of pH, reaction time, amount of substrate and oxidant was determined. A maximum labelling yield of 55-75% was found in the pH range 7-8. A spontaneous astatination of closo-dodecarborate (2-) in the absence of Chloramine-T was also found, presumably due to generation of oxidising products from water radiolysis. Our results indicate that derivatives of closo-dodecarborate (2-) anion may be used as prosthetic groups for direct labelling of proteins., Adress: Sjöberg S., Univ Uppsala, Inst Chem, Box 531, S-75121 Uppsala, Sweden

Purpose The aim of the study was to evaluate direct astatine labelling of proteins with the use of nido-carborane as prosthetic group for attachments of astatine. Methods: Human epidermal growth factor, hEGF, was conjugated to 7-(3-amino-propyl)-7,8-dicarbanido-undecaborate (-), ANC, using two different conjugation methods, glutaraldehyde crosslinking and coupling via Traut's reagent. The hEGF-ANC conjugates were astatine labelled using the Chloramine-T method. The stability of the labelled compounds was tested by incubation at 37°C. Results: The conjugates were astatinated using the Chloramine-T method in high yield. The best labelling yields were obtained by the glutaraldehyde conjugate with an average yield of 70.5±2.2%. In vitro stability tests indicated that the introduced label was as stable as hEGF labelled with astatobenzoate. Conclusion: Conjugation of nido-carboranes to peptides creates binding sites for direct astatine labelling that can be performed in mild conditions (p 7.2) with high labelling yields.

A method for production of carrier-free (114m)In (half-life 49.5 days), which is a potential radionuclide for radionuclide therapy of slowly growing tumors, is presented. A target consisting of five enriched cadmium ((114)Cd) foils, each 50 microm thick, was irradiated by protons (from 12.6-6.5 MeV) giving a target yield of 0. 8 MBq/microAh. A simple and cost-efficient thermal diffusion method was used for the separation. The irradiated target foils were heated for 2 h at 306 degrees C and then etched in 0.05 M HCl. The obtained cadmium/indium solution was purified using a cation ion-exchange resin (AG 1 x 8, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA USA). An overall yield of approximately 60% was obtained, whereas the loss of the target material was <1% per separation cycle. The (114m)In production gave (114m)In with high specific radioactivity and was successfully used to label diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-D-Phe-octreotide. Furthermore, no difference in biodistribution between [(114m)In]- and [(111)In]-DTPA-D-Phe(1)-octreotide in tumor-bearing nude mice was seen. The high radionuclide uptake in the tumors indicates a good receptor binding of the labeled octreotide.

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) A33 was labeled with the positron emitter 76Br (T(1/2) = 16.2 h). Direct labeling was done using the conventional chloramine-T method. After optimization of the labeling conditions, a maximum yield (mean +/- max error) of 77 +/- 2% was obtained at pH 6.8. In vitro binding of 76Br-A33 to SW1222 colonic cancer cells showed that the immunoreactivity was retained. Also, the MAbs 38S1 and 3S193 and the peptide hEGF were 76Br-labeled, resulting in labeling yields (mean +/- max error) of 75 +/- 3%, 63 +/- 4%, and 73 +/- 0.1%, respectively. We conclude that antibodies and peptides can be labeled conveniently with 76Br for the purpose of whole-body tumour imaging by positron emission tomography.

A monoclonal antibody labeled with the positron-emitting radionuclide 76Br (T(1/2) 16.2 h) has previously been shown useful for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of experimental tumors. Our aim in the present study was to investigate the effects of the complex decay scheme of this radionuclide on normal organ dosimetry and PET image quality. Three mini-pigs were injected intravenously with 46-75 MBq of the 76Br-labeled anti-CEA antibody 38S1, and the whole-body kinetics followed by PET imaging for 19 h. From PET data, absorbed doses in human organs were estimated using the MIRDOSE 3.0 software. The highest 76Br concentrations were found in lungs, after a correction for the air volume in this organ. The lungs received the highest absorbed dose (mGy/MBq, mean+/-maximum error), 0.84+/-0.16, followed by liver, 0.74+/-0.28, and small intestine, 0.55+/-0.05, while the effective dose equivalent was 0.41+/-0.03 mSv/MBq. The PET imaging properties of 76Br in a two-dimensional 2D PET camera, including central area resolution and scattering effects, were investigated in phantoms and compared to those of 18F. In a 0.97 g/cm3 material, approximating soft tissue density, the FMHW ("full width at half-maximum") value of the point spread function was 7.7+/-0.2 mm for 76Br and 6.0+/-0.1 mm for 18F. In conclusion, radioimmuno PET using 76Br-labeled antibodies resulted in a fairly even distribution of the radiation dose, where the highest absorbed organ doses were only about two to three times higher than the mean absorbed body dose. The high energy beta+ spectrum in the 76Br decay had only minor effects on the resolution, but may decrease the quantification accuracy, especially in organs with a lower density such as a lung.

The novel 11C-labeled nicotinic agonist (R,S)-1-[11C]methyl-2(3-pyridyl)azetidine ([11C]MPA) was evaluated as a positron emission tomography (PET) ligand for in vivo characterization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain of Rhesus monkeys in comparison with the nicotinic ligands (S)-3-methyl-5-(1-[11C]methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)isoxazol ([11C]ABT-418) and (S)(-)[11C]nicotine. The nicotinic receptor agonist [11C]MPA demonstrated rapid uptake into the brain to a similar extent as (S)(-) [11C]nicotine and [11C]ABT-418. When unlabeled (S)(-)nicotine (0.02 mg/kg) was administered 5 min before the radioactive tracers, the uptake of [11C]MPA was decreased by 25% in the thalamus, 19% in the temporal cortex, and 11% in the cerebellum, whereas an increase was found for the uptake of (S)(-)[11C]nicotine and [11C]ABT-418. This finding indicates specific binding of [11C]MPA to nicotinic receptors in the brain in a simple classical displacement study. [11C]MPA seems to be a more promising radiotracer than (S)(-)[11C]nicotine or [11C]ABT-418 for PET studies to characterize nicotinic receptors in the brain.

The metallic group XVIa elements selenium and tellurium possess remarkably similar chemical properties. However, unlike selenium, tellurium is not an essential micronutrient and, indeed, induces both acute and chronic toxicity in a variety of species. Despite this, very little is known of the molecular mechanisms of toxicity of tellurium, particularly with respect to potential chemical interactions with selenium-containing components in the cell. In this work we describe a novel interaction of inorganic tellurite with hepatocellular selenoproteins, particularly with selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase. The accumulation of (121Te)-tellurite into cultured primary rat liver hepatocytes was shown to be much more rapid than that of (75Se)-selenite on a molar basis. Neither the uptake of (121Te)-tellurite nor of (75Se)-selenite was affected by a large molar excess of the unlabelled counterpart, respectively. Interestingly, separation of the hepatocellular proteins on continuous pH denaturing gels demonstrated clear binding of radiolabelled tellurium to a number of protein bands, including one at 23 and one at 58 kDa, which corresponded to proteins readily labelled in cells treated with (75Se)-selenite. The binding of (121Te) to these proteins was insensitive to reduction with mercaptoethanol and not affected by pre-treatment of the cells with cycloheximide. When purified selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase was treated directly with (121Te)-tellurite, the protein became labelled in an analogous manner to that achieved in intact cells. This was not affected by coincubation of the enzyme with (121Te)-tellurite and one or both of its substrates. Additionally, incubation of the peroxidase with tellurite effectively inhibited its ability to catalyse glutathione-dependent reduction of hydrogen peroxide. These data suggest that inorganic tellurite delivers tellurium to the intracellular milieu in a form capable of binding to some intracellular selenoproteins and at le

4th International symposium on Biophysical Aspects of Auger Processes, Lund

Quantification accuracy in positron emission tomography (PET) using non-pure positron emitters, such as 52Fe, may be influenced by gamma radiation emitted in the decay of these isotopes. High-energy positrons, emitted in the decay of the 52Fe-daughter 52mMn, also affect the quantification accuracy. A specific problem of the 52Fe/52mMn decay chain in vivo is that the kinetics of iron and manganese are different, and that PET cannot discriminate between the two nuclides. The effect of the decay properties of 52Fe/52mMn on the performance of PET was investigated using phantoms. Minor degradation in PET performance was found for 52Fe/52mMn compared to the pure low-energy positron emitter 18F. A method is presented to obtain a correction factor for the 52mMn radioactivity in blood. A model for correction of 52mMn-radioactivity in organs, based on existing data on manganese kinetics, is given. The presented corrections are discussed and illustrated in a patient study.

The effects of dextranation on the biodistribution of mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF, 6 kDa) were assessed. By reductive amination, mEGF was coupled to 13 and 46 kDa dextran. The two dextranated conjugates and free mEGF were labeled with the positron-emitting nuclide (76)Br (T(1/2) = 16 h). After intravenous administration to Sprague Dawley rats, the radioactivity biodistribution was evaluated by positron emission tomography (PET) and by measurements of dissected tissues. The dextranation prolonged the retention time in blood, especially when the dextran chain was long. [(76)Br]mEGF-dextran conjugates were shown to have significantly, more than 5 times, lower kidney accumulation than the nonconjugated [(76)Br]mEGF. In conclusion, dextranation affects the biodistribution of mEGF in vivo giving a prolonged circulation time, a decreased uptake in kidney, and an increased spleen accumulation.

Diffusion-based separation methods allow the extraction of produced radionuclides with a low loss of target material, which is of special importance when enriched target material is used. We present a simple, non-destructive and rapid method to separate radioactive isotopes of IIB group elements (zinc, cadmium and mercury) from IB group metal targets irradiated with protons. Irradiated target foils were heated to a temperature 20°C below the melting point of the target materials. During these conditions at least 90% of the desired radioactivity was evaporated with negligible loss of target material. Separation time was 15 min for mercury, 60 min for cadmium and 120 min for zinc.