Juan J. Young, Ryan S. O’Dell, Mika Naganawa, Takuya Toyonaga, Ming-Kai Chen, Nabeel B. Nabulsi, Yiyun Huang, Emma Cooper, Alyssa Miller, Jessica Lam, Kara Bates, Audrey Ruan, Kimberly Nelsen, Elaheh Salardini, Richard E. Carson, Christopher H. van Dyck, Adam P. Mecca
{"title":"Validation of a Simplified Tissue-to-Reference Ratio Measurement Using SUVR to Assess Synaptic Density Alterations in Alzheimer Disease with [11C]UCB-J PET","authors":"Juan J. Young, Ryan S. O’Dell, Mika Naganawa, Takuya Toyonaga, Ming-Kai Chen, Nabeel B. Nabulsi, Yiyun Huang, Emma Cooper, Alyssa Miller, Jessica Lam, Kara Bates, Audrey Ruan, Kimberly Nelsen, Elaheh Salardini, Richard E. Carson, Christopher H. van Dyck, Adam P. Mecca","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267419","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267419","url":null,"abstract":"<sec><st>Visual Abstract</st><p><fig loc=\"float\"><link locator=\"jnumed.124.267419absf1\"></fig></p></sec>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142275865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Akram Al-Ibraheem, Ahmed Abdlkadir, Ken Herrmann, Jamshed Bomanji, Hossein Jadvar, Hongcheng Shi, Asem Mansour, Diana Paez, Arturo Chiti, Andrew M. Scott
{"title":"Diagnostic Accuracy of [18F]FDG PET/MRI in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis","authors":"Akram Al-Ibraheem, Ahmed Abdlkadir, Ken Herrmann, Jamshed Bomanji, Hossein Jadvar, Hongcheng Shi, Asem Mansour, Diana Paez, Arturo Chiti, Andrew M. Scott","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.268049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.268049","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study evaluates the diagnostic utility of PET/MRI for primary, locoregional, and nodal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) through systematic review and metaanalysis. <strong>Methods:</strong> A systematic search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus to identify studies on the diagnostic accuracy of PET/MRI for HNSCC. The search included specific terms and excluded nonhybrid PET/MRI studies, and those with a sample size of fewer than 10 patients were excluded. <strong>Results:</strong> In total, 15 studies encompassing 638 patients were found addressing the diagnostic test accuracy for PET/MRI within the chosen subject domain. Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx was the most observed HNSCC subtype (<em>n</em> = 198). The metaanalysis included 12 studies, with pooled sensitivity and specificity values of 93% and 95% per patient for primary disease evaluation, 93% and 96% for locoregional evaluation, and 89% and 98% per lesion for nodal disease detection, respectively. An examination of a subset of studies comparing PET/MRI against PET/CT or MRI alone for evaluating nodal and locoregional HNSCC found that PET/MRI may offer slightly higher accuracy than other modalities. However, this difference was not statistically significant. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> PET/MRI has excellent potential for identifying primary, locoregional, and nodal HNSCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Onur Tuncer, Daniel Steinberger, Joseph Steiner, Madeleine Hinojos, Stephanie Y. Rhee, Brad Humphrey, Farhad Jafari, Zuzan Cayci
{"title":"Quantitative SPECT/CT Metrics in Early Prediction of [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE Treatment Response in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Patients","authors":"Onur Tuncer, Daniel Steinberger, Joseph Steiner, Madeleine Hinojos, Stephanie Y. Rhee, Brad Humphrey, Farhad Jafari, Zuzan Cayci","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267964","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267964","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Our objective is to explore quantitative imaging markers for early prediction of treatment response in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) undergoing [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-DOTATATE therapy. By doing so, we aim to enable timely switching to more effective therapies in order to prevent time-resource waste and minimize toxicities. <strong>Methods:</strong> Patients diagnosed with unresectable or metastatic, progressive, well-differentiated, receptor-positive GEP-NETs who received 4 sessions of [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-DOTATATE were retrospectively selected. Using SPECT/CT images taken at the end of treatment sessions, we counted all visible tumors and measured their largest diameters to calculate the tumor burden score (TBS). Up to 4 target lesions were selected and semiautomatically segmented. Target lesion peak counts and spleen peak counts were measured, and normalized peak counts were calculated. Changes in TBS (ΔTBS) and changes in normalized peak count (ΔnPC) throughout treatment sessions in relation to the first treatment session were calculated. Treatment responses were evaluated using third-month CT and were binarized as progressive disease (PD) or non-PD. <strong>Results:</strong> Twenty-seven patients were included (7 PD, 20 non-PD). Significant differences were observed in ΔTBS<sub>second-first</sub>, ΔTBS<sub>third-first</sub>, and ΔTBS<sub>fourth-first</sub> (where second-first, third-first, and fourth-first denote scan number between the second and first, third and first, and fourth and first [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-DOTATATE treatment cycles), respectively) between the PD and non-PD groups (median, 0.043 vs. −0.049, 0.08 vs. −0.116, and 0.109 vs. −0.123 [<em>P</em> = 0.023, <em>P</em> = 0.002, and <em>P</em> < 0.001], respectively). ΔnPC<sub>second-first</sub> showed significant group differences (mean, −0.107 vs. −0.282; <em>P</em> = 0.033); ΔnPC<sub>third-first</sub> and ΔnPC<sub>fourth-first</sub> did not reach statistical significance (mean, −0.122 vs. −0.312 and −0.183 vs. −0.405 [<em>P</em> = 0.117 and 0.067], respectively). At the optimal threshold, ΔTBS<sub>fourth-first</sub> exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.957, achieving 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity. ΔTBS<sub>second-first</sub> and ΔTBS<sub>third-first</sub> reached AUCs of 0.793 and 0.893, sensitivities of 71.4%, and specificities of 85% and 95%, respectively. ΔnPC<sub>second-first</sub>, ΔnPC<sub>third-first</sub>, and ΔnPC<sub>fourth-first</sub> showed AUCs of 0.764, 0.693, and 0.679; sensitivities of 71.4%, 71.4%, and 100%; and specificities of 75%, 70%, and 35%, respectively. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> ΔTBS and ΔnPC can predict [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-DOTATATE response by the second treatment session.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nuclear Imaging of Bispecific Antibodies on the Rise","authors":"Borna Roohani, Aldred Shane Mendez, Mann Dangarwala, Samantha Katz, Bernadette Marquez-Nostra","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.123.267215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.123.267215","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) are engineered to target 2 different epitopes simultaneously. About 75% of the 16 clinically approved bsAbs have entered the clinic internationally since 2022. Hence, research on biomedical imaging of various radiolabeled bsAb scaffolds may serve to improve patient selection for bsAb therapy. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in radiolabeled bsAbs for imaging via PET or SPECT. We compare direct targeting and pretargeting approaches in preclinical and clinical studies in oncologic research. Furthermore, we show preclinical applications of imaging bsAbs in neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we offer perspectives on the future directions of imaging bsAbs based on their challenges and opportunities.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ur Metser, Jose E. Nunez, David Chan, Roshini Kulanthaivelu, Vanessa Murad, Anna T. Santiago, Simron Singh
{"title":"Dual Somatostatin Receptor/18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging in Patients with Well-Differentiated, Grade 2 and 3 Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors","authors":"Ur Metser, Jose E. Nunez, David Chan, Roshini Kulanthaivelu, Vanessa Murad, Anna T. Santiago, Simron Singh","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267982","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267982","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Our purpose was to prospectively assess the distribution of NETPET scores in well-differentiated (WD) grade 2 and 3 gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and to determine the impact of the NETPET score on clinical management. <strong>Methods:</strong> This single-arm, institutional ethics review board–approved prospective study included 40 patients with histologically proven WD GEP NETs. <sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE PET and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET were performed within 21 d of each other. NETPET scores were evaluated qualitatively by 2 reviewers, with up to 10 marker lesions selected for each patient. The quantitative parameters that were evaluated included marker lesion SUV<sub>max</sub> for each tracer; <sup>18</sup>F-FDG/<sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE SUV<sub>max</sub> ratios; functional tumor volume (FTV) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) on <sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET, respectively; and FTV/MTV ratios. The treatment plan before and after <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET was recorded. <strong>Results:</strong> There were 22 men and 18 women (mean age, 60.8 y) with grade 2 (<em>n</em> = 24) or grade 3 (<em>n</em> = 16) tumors and a mean Ki-67 index of 16.1%. NETPET scores of P0, P1, P2A, P2B, P3B, P4B, and P5 were documented in 2 (5%), 5 (12.5%), 5 (12.5%) 20 (50%), 2 (5%), 4 (10%), and 2 (5%) patients, respectively. No association was found between the SUV<sub>max</sub> of target lesions on <sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE and the SUV<sub>max</sub> of target lesions on <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET (<em>P</em> = 0.505). <sup>18</sup>F-FDG/<sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE SUV<sub>max</sub> ratios were significantly lower for patients with low (P1–P2) primary NETPET scores than for those with high (P3–P5) primary NETPET scores (mean ± SD, 0.20 ± 0.13 and 1.68 ± 1.44, respectively; <em>P</em> < 0.001). MTV on <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET was significantly lower for low primary NETPET scores than for high ones (mean ± SD, 464 ± 601 cm<sup>3</sup> and 66 ± 114 cm<sup>3</sup>, respectively; <em>P</em> = 0.005). A change in the type of management was observed in 42.5% of patients after <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET, with the most common being a change from systemic therapy to peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and from debulking surgery to systemic therapy. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> There was a heterogeneous distribution of NETPET scores in patients with WD grade 2 and 3 GEP NETs, with more than 1 in 5 patients having a high NETPET score and a frequent change in management after <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET. Quantitative parameters including <sup>18</sup>F-FDG/<sup>68</sup>Ga-DOTATATE SUV<sub>max</sub> ratios in target lesions and FTV/MTV ratios can discriminate between patients with high and low NETPET scores.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rick Wray, Audrey Mauguen, Laure Michaud, Doris Leithner, Randy Yeh, Nadeem Riaz, Rosna Mirtcheva, Eric Sherman, Richard Wong, John Humm, Nancy Lee, Heiko Schöder
{"title":"Development of 18F-Fluoromisonidazole Hypoxia PET/CT Diagnostic Interpretation Criteria and Validation of Interreader Reliability, Reproducibility, and Performance","authors":"Rick Wray, Audrey Mauguen, Laure Michaud, Doris Leithner, Randy Yeh, Nadeem Riaz, Rosna Mirtcheva, Eric Sherman, Richard Wong, John Humm, Nancy Lee, Heiko Schöder","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267775","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Tumor hypoxia, an integral biomarker to guide radiotherapy, can be imaged with <sup>18</sup>F-fluoromisonidazole (<sup>18</sup>F-FMISO) hypoxia PET. One major obstacle to its broader application is the lack of standardized interpretation criteria. We sought to develop and validate practical interpretation criteria and a dedicated training protocol for nuclear medicine physicians to interpret <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO hypoxia PET. <strong>Methods:</strong> We randomly selected 123 patients with human papillomavirus–positive oropharyngeal cancer enrolled in a phase II trial who underwent 123 <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT and 134 <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO PET/CT scans. Four independent nuclear medicine physicians with no <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO experience read the scans. Interpretation by a fifth nuclear medicine physician with over 2 decades of <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO experience was the reference standard. Performance was evaluated after initial instruction and subsequent dedicated training. Scans were considered positive for hypoxia by visual assessment if <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO uptake was greater than floor-of-mouth uptake. Additionally, SUV<sub>max</sub> was determined to evaluate whether quantitative assessment using tumor-to-background ratios could be helpful to define hypoxia positivity. <strong>Results:</strong> Visual assessment produced a mean sensitivity and specificity of 77.3% and 80.9%, with fair interreader agreement (κ = 0.34), after initial instruction. After dedicated training, mean sensitivity and specificity improved to 97.6% and 86.9%, with almost perfect agreement (κ = 0.86). Quantitative assessment with an estimated best SUV<sub>max</sub> ratio threshold of more than 1.2 to define hypoxia positivity produced a mean sensitivity and specificity of 56.8% and 95.9%, respectively, with substantial interreader agreement (κ = 0.66), after initial instruction. After dedicated training, mean sensitivity improved to 89.6% whereas mean specificity remained high at 95.3%, with near-perfect interreader agreement (κ = 0.86). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Nuclear medicine physicians without <sup>18</sup>F-FMISO hypoxia PET reading experience demonstrate much improved interreader agreement with dedicated training using specific interpretation criteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sophie Poty, Laura Ordas, Yana Dekempeneer, Ali Asghar Parach, Laurent Navarro, Francis Santens, Nina Dumauthioz, Manuel Bardiès, Tony Lahoutte, Matthias D’Huyvetter, Jean-Pierre Pouget
{"title":"Optimizing the Therapeutic Index of sdAb-Based Radiopharmaceuticals Using Pretargeting","authors":"Sophie Poty, Laura Ordas, Yana Dekempeneer, Ali Asghar Parach, Laurent Navarro, Francis Santens, Nina Dumauthioz, Manuel Bardiès, Tony Lahoutte, Matthias D’Huyvetter, Jean-Pierre Pouget","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267624","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267624","url":null,"abstract":"<sec><st>Visual Abstract</st><p><fig loc=\"float\"><link locator=\"jnumed.124.267624absf1\"></fig></p></sec>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alex J. Poot, Constantin Lapa, Wolfgang A. Weber, Marnix G.E.H. Lam, Matthias Eiber, Alexander Dierks, Ralph A. Bundschuh, Arthur J.A.T. Braat
{"title":"[68Ga]Ga-RAYZ-8009: A Glypican-3–Targeted Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Molecular Imaging—A First-in-Human Case Series","authors":"Alex J. Poot, Constantin Lapa, Wolfgang A. Weber, Marnix G.E.H. Lam, Matthias Eiber, Alexander Dierks, Ralph A. Bundschuh, Arthur J.A.T. Braat","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.268147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.268147","url":null,"abstract":"<p>To date, the imaging and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rely on CT/MRI, which have well-known limitations. Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a cell surface receptor highly expressed by HCC but not by normal or cirrhotic liver tissue. Here we report initial clinical results of GPC3-targeted PET imaging with [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-DOTA-RYZ-GPC3 (RAYZ-8009), a peptide-based GPC3 ligand in patients with known or suspected HCC. <strong>Methods:</strong> [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-RAYZ-8009 was obtained after labeling the peptide precursor with <sup>68</sup>Ga from a <sup>68</sup>Ge/<sup>68</sup>Ga generator and heating at 90°C for 10 min followed by sterile filtration. After administration of [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-RAYZ-8009, a dynamic or static PET/CT scan was acquired between 45 min and 4 h after administration. Radiotracer uptake was measured by SUVs for the following tissues: suspected or actual HCC or hepatoblastoma lesions, non–tumor-bearing liver, renal cortex, blood pool in the left ventricle, and gastric fundus. Additionally, tumor–to–healthy-liver ratios (TLRs) were calculated. <strong>Results:</strong> Twenty-four patients (5 patients in the dynamic protocol; 19 patients in the static protocol) were scanned. No adverse events occurred. Two patients had no lesion detected and did not have HCC during follow-up. In total, 50 lesions were detected and analyzed. The mean SUV<sub>max</sub> of these lesions was 19.6 (range, 2.7–95.3), and the mean SUV<sub>mean</sub> was 10.1 (range, 1.0–49.2) at approximately 60 min after administration. Uptake in non–tumor-bearing liver and blood pool rapidly decreased over time and became negligible 45 min after administration (mean SUV<sub>mean</sub>, <1.6), with a continuous decline to 4 h after administration (mean SUV<sub>mean</sub>, 1.0). The opposite was observed for HCC lesions, for which SUVs and TLRs continuously increased for up to 4 h after administration. In individual lesion analysis, TLR was the highest between 60 and 120 min after administration. Uptake in the gastric fundus gradually increased for up to 45 min (to an SUV<sub>max</sub> of 31.3) and decreased gradually afterward. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-RAYZ-8009 is safe and allows for high-contrast imaging of GPC3-positive HCC, with rapid clearance from most normal organs. Thereby, [<sup>68</sup>Ga]Ga-RAYZ-8009 is promising for HCC diagnosis and staging. Further research is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca Sullivan, Jinqiang Hou, Lihai Yu, Benjamin Wilk, Jane Sykes, Heather Biernaski, John Butler, Michael Kovacs, Justin Hicks, Jonathan D. Thiessen, Rohan Dharmakumar, Frank S. Prato, Gerald Wisenberg, Leonard G. Luyt, Savita Dhanvantari
{"title":"Design, Synthesis, and Preclinical Evaluation of a High-Affinity 18F-Labeled Radioligand for Myocardial Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor Before and After Myocardial Infarction","authors":"Rebecca Sullivan, Jinqiang Hou, Lihai Yu, Benjamin Wilk, Jane Sykes, Heather Biernaski, John Butler, Michael Kovacs, Justin Hicks, Jonathan D. Thiessen, Rohan Dharmakumar, Frank S. Prato, Gerald Wisenberg, Leonard G. Luyt, Savita Dhanvantari","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.267578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.267578","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The peptide hormone ghrelin is produced in cardiomyocytes and acts through the myocardial growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) to promote cardiomyocyte survival. Administration of ghrelin may have therapeutic effects on post–myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to develop molecular imaging probes that can track the dynamics of GHSR in health and disease to better predict the effectiveness of ghrelin-based therapeutics. We designed a high-affinity GHSR ligand labeled with <sup>18</sup>F for imaging by PET and characterized its in vivo properties in a canine model of MI. <strong>Methods:</strong> We rationally designed and radiolabeled with <sup>18</sup>F a quinazolinone derivative ([<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470) with subnanomolar binding affinity to GHSR. We determined the sensitivity and in vivo and ex vivo specificity of [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470 in a canine model of surgically induced MI using PET/MRI, which allowed for anatomic localization of tracer uptake and simultaneous determination of global cardiac function. Uptake of [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470 was determined by time–activity curve and SUV analysis in 3 regions of the left ventricle—area of infarct, territory served by the left circumflex coronary artery, and remote myocardium—over a period of 1.5 y. Changes in cardiac perfusion were tracked by [<sup>13</sup>N]NH<sub>3</sub> PET. <strong>Results:</strong> The receptor binding affinity of LCE470 was measured at 0.33 nM, the highest known receptor binding affinity for a radiolabeled GHSR ligand. In vivo blocking studies in healthy hounds and ex vivo blocking studies in myocardial tissue showed the specificity of [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470, and sensitivity was demonstrated by a positive correlation between tracer uptake and GHSR abundance. Post-MI changes in [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470 uptake occurred independently of perfusion tracer distributions and changes in global cardiac function. We found that the regional distribution of [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470 within the left ventricle diverged significantly within 1 d after MI and remained that way throughout the 1.5-y duration of the study. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> [<sup>18</sup>F]LCE470 is a high-affinity PET tracer that can detect changes in the regional distribution of myocardial GHSR after MI. In vivo PET molecular imaging of the global dynamics of GHSR may lead to improved GHSR-based therapeutics in the treatment of post-MI remodeling.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preclinical Evaluation of 177Lu-OncoFAP-23, a Multivalent FAP-Targeted Radiopharmaceutical Therapeutic for Solid Tumors","authors":"Andrea Galbiati, Matilde Bocci, Domenico Ravazza, Jacqueline Mock, Ettore Gilardoni, Dario Neri, Samuele Cazzamalli","doi":"10.2967/jnumed.124.268200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.268200","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is abundantly expressed in the stroma of most human solid tumors. Clinical-stage radiolabeled FAP ligands are increasingly used as tools for the detection of various cancer lesions. To unleash the full therapeutic potential of FAP-targeting agents, ligands need to remain at the tumor site for several days after administration. We recently described the discovery of OncoFAP, a high-affinity small organic ligand of FAP with a rapid accumulation in tumors and low uptake in healthy tissues in cancer patients. Trimerization of OncoFAP provided a derivative (named TriOncoFAP, or OncoFAP-23) with improved FAP affinity. In this work, we evaluated the tissue biodistribution profile and the therapeutic performance of OncoFAP-23 in tumor-bearing mice. <strong>Methods:</strong> OncoFAP-23 was radiolabeled with the theranostic radionuclide <sup>177</sup>Lu. Preclinical experiments were conducted on mice bearing SK-RC-52.hFAP (BALB/c nude mice) or CT-26.hFAP (BALB/c mice) tumors. <sup>177</sup>Lu-OncoFAP and <sup>177</sup>Lu-FAP-2286 were included in the biodistribution study as controls. Toxicologic evaluation was performed on Wistar rats and CD1 mice by injecting high doses of OncoFAP-23 or its cold-labeled counterpart, respectively. <strong>Results:</strong> <sup>177</sup>Lu-OncoFAP-23 emerged for its best-in-class biodistribution profile, high and prolonged tumor uptake (i.e., ∼16 percentage injected dose/g at 96 h), and low accumulation in healthy organs, which correlates well with its potent single-agent anticancer activity at low levels of administered radioactivity. Combination treatment with the tumor-targeted interleukin 2 (L19-IL2, a clinical-stage immunocytokine) further expands the therapeutic window of <sup>177</sup>Lu-OncoFAP-23 by potentiating its in vivo antitumor activity. Proteomics studies revealed a potent tumor-directed immune response on treatment with the combination. OncoFAP-23 and <sup>nat</sup>Lu-OncoFAP-23 exhibited a favorable toxicologic profile, without showing any side effects or signs of toxicity. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> OncoFAP-23 presents enhanced tumor uptake and tumor retention and low accumulation in healthy organs, findings that correspond to a strongly improved in vivo antitumor efficacy. The data presented in this work support the clinical development of <sup>177</sup>Lu-OncoFAP-23 for the treatment of FAP-positive solid tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":22820,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of Nuclear Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142174579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}