Shuyi Lin,Xiangwei Wang,Fangning Wan,Jianping Zhang,Xiaoping Xu,Bingxin Gu,Zhongyi Yang,Shaoli Song
{"title":"Preclinical and first-in-human evaluation of novel androgen receptor-targeted PET imaging in prostate cancer.","authors":"Shuyi Lin,Xiangwei Wang,Fangning Wan,Jianping Zhang,Xiaoping Xu,Bingxin Gu,Zhongyi Yang,Shaoli Song","doi":"10.1007/s00259-025-07577-5","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PURPOSE\r\nActivation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a hallmark of prostate cancer. Dynamic changes in AR expression exacerbate AR heterogeneity throughout prostate cancer therapy. This study aims to develop a series of 68Ga-labeled Enzalutamide-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for AR imaging.\r\n\r\nMETHODS\r\n[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-1, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2, and [68Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-FZAR-3 were synthesized and the stability was analyzed in vitro. The AR specificity of the three radiotracers was assessed in vitro using AR-negative and AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines and in vivo using tumor xenograft-bearing mice. Moreover, the first-in-human evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 was conducted in eight patients with prostate cancer.\r\n\r\nRESULTS\r\n[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-1, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2, and [68Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-FZAR-3 were successfully synthesized with a radiochemical purity of more than 99%, and had good stability in vitro. Cellular uptake assays revealed that the radiotracers had the highest, intermediate, and lowest uptake in LNCaP, 22Rv1, and PC-3 cells, respectively, strongly correlating with AR expression levels (P < 0.001). Consistent with cellular uptake, the radiotracers also exhibited a hierarchical uptake pattern (highest to lowest) in tumors of mice bearing LNCaP, 22Rv1 and PC-3 xenografts, respectively. In addition, all three radiotracers were primarily eliminated through the urinary system, as confirmed by ex vivo biodistribution studies. More importantly, first-in-human investigation showed safety and diagnostic value of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 in AR-associated prostate cancer patients.\r\n\r\nCONCLUSION\r\nWe developed and validated a series of 68Ga-labeled Enzalutamide-based PET tracers for AR imaging. Initial preclinical and clinical evidence indicate that [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 enables noninvasive, whole-body, and dynamic monitoring of AR expression in prostate cancer patients throughout therapy.","PeriodicalId":11909,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07577-5","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
PURPOSE
Activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a hallmark of prostate cancer. Dynamic changes in AR expression exacerbate AR heterogeneity throughout prostate cancer therapy. This study aims to develop a series of 68Ga-labeled Enzalutamide-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for AR imaging.
METHODS
[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-1, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2, and [68Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-FZAR-3 were synthesized and the stability was analyzed in vitro. The AR specificity of the three radiotracers was assessed in vitro using AR-negative and AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines and in vivo using tumor xenograft-bearing mice. Moreover, the first-in-human evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 was conducted in eight patients with prostate cancer.
RESULTS
[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-1, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2, and [68Ga]Ga-DOTAGA-FZAR-3 were successfully synthesized with a radiochemical purity of more than 99%, and had good stability in vitro. Cellular uptake assays revealed that the radiotracers had the highest, intermediate, and lowest uptake in LNCaP, 22Rv1, and PC-3 cells, respectively, strongly correlating with AR expression levels (P < 0.001). Consistent with cellular uptake, the radiotracers also exhibited a hierarchical uptake pattern (highest to lowest) in tumors of mice bearing LNCaP, 22Rv1 and PC-3 xenografts, respectively. In addition, all three radiotracers were primarily eliminated through the urinary system, as confirmed by ex vivo biodistribution studies. More importantly, first-in-human investigation showed safety and diagnostic value of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 in AR-associated prostate cancer patients.
CONCLUSION
We developed and validated a series of 68Ga-labeled Enzalutamide-based PET tracers for AR imaging. Initial preclinical and clinical evidence indicate that [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FZAR-2 enables noninvasive, whole-body, and dynamic monitoring of AR expression in prostate cancer patients throughout therapy.
期刊介绍:
The European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging serves as a platform for the exchange of clinical and scientific information within nuclear medicine and related professions. It welcomes international submissions from professionals involved in the functional, metabolic, and molecular investigation of diseases. The journal's coverage spans physics, dosimetry, radiation biology, radiochemistry, and pharmacy, providing high-quality peer review by experts in the field. Known for highly cited and downloaded articles, it ensures global visibility for research work and is part of the EJNMMI journal family.