Proof of principle for the use of 11C-labelled peptides in tumour diagnosis with PET.
OBJECTIVE
The future significance of peptide radiopharmaceuticals in diagnostic imaging with PET will be dependent on methodological aspects, as well as other requirements such as availability of the radionuclide and cost-effectiveness of its production. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether recent improvements in the modification of peptide pharmacokinetics by carbohydration may open a niche for the use of 11C-labelled peptide receptor binding tracers.


METHODS
A carbohydrated analogue of Tyr3-octreotate was used as a clinically relevant peptide. Oxime-mediated coupling between 4-[11C]methoxy-benzaldehyde and an aminooxy-conjugated peptide precursor provided the 11C-labelled peptide in 21+/-5% decay-corrected yield (n=4) in a synthesis time of about 1 h.


RESULTS
In rat pancreas carcinoma xenografted mice, the compound displayed predominant and fast renal clearance combined with high tumour uptake (18.5+/-2.8% ID/g) at 30 min post injection. Corresponding values for kidney, liver and intestine were 18.5+/-2.4% ID/g, 3.2+/-0.5% ID/g and 2.1+/-0.3% ID/g, respectively. In a PET study with xenografted mice, the tumour (0.2-0.3 g) was clearly delineated as early as 20 min after injection. Somatostatin receptor (sstr)-specific uptake was demonstrated by reduction of tumour uptake to 20% of control by co-injection of TOC (0.4 mg/kg; 30 min p.i.).


CONCLUSIONS
A 11C-labelled octreotate derivative has been prepared which shows suitable pharmacokinetics for in vivo imaging of sstr-overexpressing tumours and thus represents the first proof of principle for the potential of 11C-labelled peptides in tumour imaging.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
G
G
Henriksen
M
M
Schottelius
T
T
Poethko
A
A
Hauser
I
I
Wolf
M
M
Schwaiger
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
Wester
D000818:Animals; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D051381:Rats; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014930:Women
D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D010455:Peptides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin