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The structure-activity relationships of a series of rhenium (Re)-cyclized octreotide derivatives are described. The effects of changes in the peptide sequence, N-terminus, and C-terminus on metal cyclization, as well as binding to the somatostatin receptor, were investigated. Each peptide complex was found to have an integrated Re(V) core with a single metal oxo group, two coordination sites filled by the cysteine sulfhydryls, and another by the amide nitrogen of Phe (3)/Tyr (3). The final coordination site was determined by the peptide N-terminus: the N-terminal amine coordinated for N-NH 2 peptides and the amide nitrogen of Thr (6) for peptides with acetylated N-termini. Re-cyclization of the octreotide derivatives led to structural perturbations of the somatostatin receptor-binding sequence relative to the Re-free disulfide analogues, resulting in reduced binding affinities. The findings presented herein demonstrate the importance of understanding the consequences of structural modifications when designing metal-peptide complexes for somatostatin receptor targeting.

Diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine relies heavily on radiometal nuclides. The most widely used and well-known radionuclide is technetium-99m (99mTc), which has dominated diagnostic nuclear medicine since the advent of the 99Mo/99mTc generator in the 1960s. Since that time, many more radiometals have been developed and incorporated into potential radiopharmaceuticals. One critical aspect of radiometal-containing radiopharmaceuticals is their stability under in vivo conditions. The chelator that is coordinated to the radiometal is a key factor in determining radiometal complex stability. The chelators that have shown the most promise and are under investigation in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals over the last 5 years are discussed in this review.

Introduction Development of radiolabeled octreotide analogues is of interest for targeting somatostatin receptor-positive tumors for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. We are investigating a direct labeling approach for incorporation of a Re ion into octreotide analogues, where the peptide sequences are cyclized via coordination to Re rather than through a disulfide bridge. Methods Various octreotide analogue sequences and coordination systems (e.g., S2N2 and S3N) were synthesized and cyclized with non-radioactive Re. In vitro competitive binding assays with 111In-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide in AR42J rat pancreatic tumor cells yielded IC50 values as a measure of somatostatin receptor affinity of the Re-cyclized analogues. Three-dimensional structures of Re-cyclized Tyr3-octreotate and its disulfide-bridged analogue were calculated from two-dimensional NMR experiments to visualize the effect of metal cyclization on the analogue’s pharmacophore. Results Only two of the eleven Re-cyclized analogues investigated showed moderate in vitro binding affinity toward somatostatin subtype 2 receptors. Three-dimensional molecular structures of Re- and disulfide-cyclized Tyr3-octreotate were calculated, and both of their pharmacophore turns appear to be very similar with minor differences due to metal coordination to the amide nitrogen of one of the pharmacophore amino acids. Conclusions Various Re-cyclized analogues were developed and analogue 4 had moderate affinity toward somatostatin subtype 2 receptors. In vitro stable studies that are in progress showed stable radiometal-cyclization of octreotide analogues via NS3 and N2S2 coordination forming 5- and 6- membered chelate rings. In vivo biodistribution studies are underway of 99m Tc- cyclized analogue 4.