Large neutral L-amino acids are substrates of system L amino acid transporters. The level of one of these, LAT1, is increased in many tumors. Aromatic L-amino acids may also be substrates of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), the level of which is enhanced in endocrine tumors. Increased amino acid uptake and subsequent decarboxylation result in the intracellular accumulation of the amino acid and its decarboxylation product. 18 F-and 11 C-labeled neutral aromatic amino acids, such as L-3,4-dihydroxy-6-18 F-fluorophenylalanine ( 18 F-FDOPA) and 5-hydroxy-L-[b-11 C]tryptophan, are thus successfully used in PET to image endocrine tumors. However, 5-hydroxy-L-[b-11 C]tryptophan has a relatively short physical half-life (20 min). In this work, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of the 18 F-labeled tryptophan analog 5-(2-18 F-fluoroethoxy)-L-tryptophan ( 18 F-L-FEHTP) as a PET probe for tumor imaging. Methods: 18 F-L-FEHTP was synthesized by no-carrier-added 18 F fluorination of 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan. In vitro cell uptake and efflux of 18 F-L-FEHTP and 18 F-FDOPA were studied with NCI-H69 endocrine small cell lung cancer cells, PC-3 pseudoendocrine prostate cancer cells, and MDA-MB-231 exocrine breast cancer cells. Small-animal PET was performed with the respective xenograft-bearing mice. Tissues were analyzed for potential metabolites. Results: 18 F-L-FEHTP specific activity and radiochemical purity were 50-150 GBq/mmol and greater than 95%, respectively. In vitro cell uptake of 18 F-L-FEHTP was between 48% and 113% of added radioactivity per milligram of protein within 60 min at 37°C and was blocked by greater than 95% in all tested cell lines by the LAT1/2 inhibitor 2-amino-2-norboranecarboxylic acid. 18 F-FDOPA uptake ranged from 26% to 53%/mg. PET studies revealed similar xenograft-to-reference tissue ratios for 18 F-L-FEHTP and 18 F-FDOPA at 30-45 min after injection. In contrast to the 18 F-FDOPA PET results, pretreatment with the AADC inhibitor S-carbidopa did not affect the 18 F-L-FEHTP PET results. No decarboxylation products of 18 F-L-FEHTP were detected in the xenograft homogenates. Conclusion: 18 F-L-FEHTP accumulates in endocrine and nonendocrine tumor models via LAT1 transport but is not decarboxylated by AADC. 18 F-L-FEHTP may thus serve as a PET probe for tumor imaging and quantification of tumor LAT1 activity. These findings are of interest in view of the ongoing evaluation of LAT1 substrates and inhibitors for cancer therapy.
There is a high demand for tumor specific PET tracers in oncology imaging. Besides glucose, certain amino acids also serve as energy sources and anabolic precursors for tumors. Therefore, (18)F-labeled amino acids are interesting probes for tumor specific PET imaging. As glutamine and glutamate play a key role in the adapted intermediary metabolism of tumors, the radiosynthesis of 4-[(18)F]fluoro l-glutamic acid (BAY 85-8050) as a new specific PET tracer was established. Cell-uptake studies revealed specific tumor cell accumulation.
In the era of personalized precision medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) and related hybrid methods like PET/CT and PET/MRI gain recognition as indispensable tools of clinical diagnostics. A broader implementation of these imaging modalities in clinical routine is closely dependent on the increased availability of established and emerging PET-tracers, which in turn could be accessible by the development of simple, reliable, and efficient radiolabeling procedures. A further requirement is a cGMP production of imaging probes in automated synthesis modules. Herein, a novel protocol for the efficient preparation of 18F-labeled aromatics via Cu-mediated radiofluorination of (aryl)(mesityl)iodonium salts without the need of evaporation steps is described. Labeled aromatics were prepared in high radiochemical yields simply by heating of iodonium [18F]fluorides with the Cu-mediator in methanolic DMF. The iodonium [18F]fluorides were prepared by direct elution of 18F− from an anion exchange resin with solutions of the corresponding precursors in MeOH/DMF. The practicality of the novel method was confirmed by the racemization-free production of radiolabeled fluorophenylalanines, including hitherto unknown 3-[18F]FPhe, in 22–69% isolated radiochemical yields as well as its direct implementation into a remote-controlled synthesis unit.
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