Next Generation of SiFAlin-Based TATE Derivatives for PET Imaging of SSTR-Positive Tumors: Influence of Molecular Design on In Vitro SSTR Binding and In Vivo Pharmacokinetics.

The Silicon-Fluoride-Acceptor (SiFA)-(18)F-labeling strategy has been shown before to enable the straightforward and efficient (18)F-labeling of complex biologically active substances such as proteins and peptides. Especially in the case of peptides, the radiolabeling proceeds kit-like in short reaction times and without the need of complex product workup. SiFA-derivatized, (18)F-labeled Tyr(3)-octreotate (TATE) derivatives demonstrated, besides strong somatostatin receptor (SSTR) binding, favorable in vivo pharmacokinetics as well as excellent tumor visualization by PET imaging. In this study, we intended to determine the influence of the underlying molecular design and used molecular scaffolds of SiFAlin-TATE derivatives on SSTR binding as well as on the in vivo pharmacokinetics of the resulting (18)F-labeled peptides. For this purpose, new SiFAlin-(Asp)n-PEG1-TATE analogs (where n = 1-4) were synthesized, efficiently radiolabeled with (18)F in a kit-like manner and obtained in radiochemical yields of 70-80%, radiochemical purities of ≥97%, and nonoptimized specific activities of 20.1-45.2 GBq/µmol within 20-25 min starting from 0.7-1.5 GBq of (18)F. In the following, the radiotracer's lipophilicities and stabilities in human serum were determined. Furthermore, the SSTR-specific binding affinities were evaluated by a competitive displacement assay on SSTR-positive AR42J cells. The obtained in vitro results support the assumption that aspartic acids are able to considerably increase the radiotracer's hydrophilicity and that their number does not affect the SSTR binding potential of the TATE derivatives. The most promising tracer (18)F-SiFAlin-Asp3-PEG1-TATE [(18)F]6 (LogD = -1.23 ± 0.03, IC50 = 20.7 ± 2.5 nM) was further evaluated in vivo in AR42J tumor-bearing nude mice via PET/CT imaging against the clinical gold standard (68)Ga-DOTATATE as well as the previously developed SiFAlin-TATE derivative [(18)F]3. The results of these evaluations showed that [(18)F]6-although showing very similar chemical and in vitro properties to [(18)F]3-exhibits not only a slowed renal clearance compared to [(18)F]3, but also a higher absolute tumor uptake compared to (68)Ga-DOTATATE, and furthermore enables excellent tumor visualization with high image resolution. These results emphasize the importance of systematic study of the influence of molecular design and applied structure elements of peptidic radiotracers, as these may considerably influence in vivo pharmacokinetics while not affecting other parameters such as radiochemistry, lipophilicity, serum stability, or receptor binding potential.

[Importance of PET for surgery of gastrointestinal stromal tumors]. / Bedeutung der PET für die Chirurgie des gastrointestinalen Stromatumors.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the digestive tract. The GIST differ substantially from gastrointestinal carcinomas regarding tumor biology, treatment strategies and indications for surgery. Every surgeon involved in the treatment of GIST should be acquainted with these aspects. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this article are to discuss the value of positron emission tomography (PET) in the surgical treatment of patients with GIST and to provide an outlook on the development of molecular tracers specifically tailored for GIST. RESULTS: PET is an invaluable decision aid in the multimodal therapy of GIST and particularly for deciding on surgical indications. Specific scenarios in which PET is used are primary staging monitoring during neoadjuvant therapy and staging and response assessment in the metastatic setting. The routinely used tracer is 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) and uptake reliably correlates with the metabolism of GIST lesions. Compared to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI), 18F-FDG-PET often allows a more timely and accurate response assessment. GIST-specific molecular tracers, which could provide a direct prognosis regarding response and development of resistance to treatment, are currently in preclinical development. However, pharmacokinetic and immunological issues still need to be resolved. A distant aim is the development of "theranostics", i.e. substances which serve both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. DISCUSSION: PET has an established value in the multimodal treatment of GIST and is particularly useful for deciding on surgical indications.