Tao Hua, Qi Huang, Zhirui Zhou, Weiyan Zhou, Jianbo Wen, Fang Xie, Ming Li, Yihui Guan, Dongxiao Zhuang
{"title":"Fibroblast activation protein expression in the tumor microenvironment is crucial in survival prediction and differentiation of recurrent gliomas: a head-to-head comparison of 68Ga-FAPI-04 and 18F-FET in PET/CT imaging","authors":"Tao Hua, Qi Huang, Zhirui Zhou, Weiyan Zhou, Jianbo Wen, Fang Xie, Ming Li, Yihui Guan, Dongxiao Zhuang","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00378-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00378-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The precise differentiation of recurrent glioma from treatment-related changes, such as pseudoprogression or radiation necrosis, is essential for treatment planning and remains a significant challenge. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts can be targeted with PET tracers for in vivo visualization and quantification. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic effectiveness of FAP expression in patients with potential recurrent glioma by directly comparing [gallium-68] FAP inhibitor-04 and [fluorine-18] fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine PET/CT imaging. Thirty glioma patients showing signs of possible recurrence during routine MRI follow-up after treatment were enrolled. PET-based semiquantitative parameters, clinical factors, and survival data were collected for analysis.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Paired comparison of SUVmax, TBRmax, MTV, and TLU originating from two PET imaging studies indicated significant differences in TBRmax, MTV, and TLU, with P values of 0.000, 0.001, and 0.000, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed a marginally non-significant difference in efficacy (<i>P</i> = 0.053) of the initial pathological diagnosis. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, PET parameters, initial pathological data, age, and gender were used to develop the predictive models step by step. Although trends towards significance were observed in the MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio, no PET parameters reached statistical significance. The MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). When PET parameters and initial pathological diagnosis were included, the MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio significantly enhanced the model’s AUC (<i>P</i> = 0.040) from 0.709 (0.465–0.953, 95% CI) to 0.847 (0.688-1.000, 95% CI). When replacing the initial diagnosis with initial WHO grade, the MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio improved the AUC (<i>P</i> = 0.016) from 0.640 (0.400–0.880, 95% CI) to 0.852 (0.715–0.988, 95% CI). After factoring in age and gender in addition to the initial pathological diagnosis, the MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio enhanced the AUC (<i>P</i> = 0.039) from 0.841 (0.677-1.000, 95% CI) to 0.963 (0.887-1.000, 95% CI). Similarly, after replacing the initial pathological diagnosis with the initial WHO grade, the MTV<sub>FAPI</sub>:MTV<sub>FET</sub> ratio significantly enhanced the AUC of the model (<i>P</i> = 0.046) from 0.762 (0.532–0.992, 95% CI) to 0.942 (0.850-1.000, 95% CI). The survival analysis revealed that the MTV-FAPI of the lesion has a significant impact on overall survival (<i>P</i> = 0.027, hazard ratio = 1.103, 95% CI: 1.011–1.204).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This head-to-head exploratory study showed that glioma FAP expression volume is an independent risk factor that can significantly influence overall survival in patients with rec","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejnmmipharmchem.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41181-025-00378-z","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144897195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Austin A. Morris, Tianhao Wei, Zhi Wang, Ying Xia, Meiyun Han, Yuanrong Lu
{"title":"Compact accelerator-based production of carrier-free 177Lu from 18 MeV (D^+) on [176Yb](hbox {Yb}_2hbox {O}_3)","authors":"Austin A. Morris, Tianhao Wei, Zhi Wang, Ying Xia, Meiyun Han, Yuanrong Lu","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00358-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00358-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Recent EMA and FDA approvals of Lu-DOTATATE and Lu-PSMA-617 have led to increased demand for radiotherapeutic <span>(^{177})</span>Lu, due to its promising potential to treat castration-resistant neuroendocrine cancers. Conventional reactor production methods pose challenges related to cost, waste management, and local availability. In comparison, accelerators produce less waste, have lower maintenance costs, and can be directly integrated into hospital settings. In this study, we evaluate the production of radiotherapeutic <span>(^{177})</span>Lu using a 10 mA, 18 MeV <span>(D^+)</span> compact linear accelerator design. The design consists of a single radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) and seven drift tube linacs (DTLs) that achieve a beam efficiency of 98.5% over a total length of <span>(12,text {m})</span>. Deuteron activations on a 99% enriched [<span>(^{176})</span>Yb]<span>(hbox {Yb}_2hbox {O}_3)</span> target are estimated using experimental and simulated excitation functions.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>A circular target with a radius of 1 cm and 0.36 mm thickness is selected to optimize the yield of <span>(^{177})</span>Lu while minimizing the production of undesirable radioisotopes, including <span>(^{174g+m})</span>Lu and <span>(^{177m})</span>Lu. Model calculations indicate that the accelerator design can produce 11.3 μg of <span>(^{177})</span>Lu per hour. A 5-day irradiation is expected to yield approximately 1.07 mg of <span>(^{177})</span>Lu (4.4 TBq), while a 12-day irradiation can produce up to 1.9 mg (7.8 TBq). Following a 2-day processing period, the specific activity of the 5-day irradiated sample is projected to approach 0.6 TBq/mg, with a radiopurity of approximately 99.8%. The minimal burn-up of the <span>(hbox {Yb}_2hbox {O}_3)</span> target suggests it may be recycled and reused over multiple irradiations.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The study confirms the feasibility of accelerator-based <span>(^{177})</span>Lu production as an alternative to existing reactor-based methods. The 10 mA, 18 MeV <span>(D^+)</span> RFQ-DTL design achieves an exceptionally high <span>(^{177})</span>Lu radiopurity and a competitive overall yield, which can meet the dose requirements of thousands of patients.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejnmmipharmchem.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41181-025-00358-3","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jacopo Millul, Tais Basaco Bernabeu, Raghuvir H. Gaonkar, Francesco De Rose, Leila Jaafar-Thiel, Gary A. Ulaner, Rosalba Mansi, Melpomeni Fani
{"title":"Enhanced contrast in FAP-targeting PET imaging with 61Cu-labeled FAP inhibitors: development and preclinical evaluation of novel [61Cu]Cu-Kalios PET radioligands","authors":"Jacopo Millul, Tais Basaco Bernabeu, Raghuvir H. Gaonkar, Francesco De Rose, Leila Jaafar-Thiel, Gary A. Ulaner, Rosalba Mansi, Melpomeni Fani","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00381-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00381-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeting radioligands have gained attention for the ability to image multiple tumor types. Current FAP-targeting radioligands are labeled with <sup>68</sup>Ga and <sup>18</sup>F, but their short half-lives limit distribution range after production and later time-point imaging. This study describes the development Kalios, a novel class of NODAGA-conjugated FAP-targeting radioligands labeled with the cyclotron-produced Copper-61 (t<sub>1/2</sub> = 3.33 h), for greater temporal range for FAP-targeted imaging.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Four Kalios ligands were synthesized and radiolabeled with [<sup>61</sup>Cu]CuCl<sub>2</sub> in high yield and radiochemical purity within 5 min at room temperature. All radioligands demonstrated high hydrophilicity and strong affinity for FAP, and were primarily internalized after incubation with FAP-positive cells. PET/CT images obtained at 0–1 h and 4 h post-injection (p.i.) illustrated accumulation of all radioligands in FAP-positive tumors. Biodistribution studies of [<sup>61</sup>Cu]Cu-Kalios-02 demonstrated stable tumor uptake between 1 and 4 h p.i., with washout from normal tissues at 4 h, resulting in improved tumor-to-background ratios.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Kalios ligands represent a new class of FAP-targeting <sup>61</sup>Cu-labeled radioligands. The half-life of <sup>61</sup>Cu allowed delayed 4-h imaging with improved tumor-to-background ratios. The improved delayed imaging and greater distribution range of these <sup>61</sup>Cu-labeled FAP-targeting radioligands demonstrates their clear potential for clinical translation, while combination with the therapeutic twin <sup>67</sup>Cu allows for truly paired Kalios theranostics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejnmmipharmchem.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41181-025-00381-4","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144888065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Side by side comparison of NOTA and DOTA for conjugation efficiency, gallium-68 labeling, and in vivo biodistribution of anti-mesothelin sdAb A1-His","authors":"Émilien N’Guessan, Sandrine Bacot, Florian Raes, Julien Leenhardt, Thibault Guenard, Laurent Dumas, Catherine Ghezzi, Daniel Fagret, Charlotte Lombardi, Alexis Broisat, Mitra Ahmadi","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00380-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00380-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Mesothelin is a glycoprotein overexpressed in various cancers, with limited expression in healthy tissues. The single-domain antibody (sdAb, or nanobody) A1-His has previously successfully been validated in mice for the SPECT imaging of mesothelin positive tumors following radiolabeling with <sup>99m</sup>Tc. Our objective was to radiolabel this sdAb with <sup>68</sup>Ga for PET imaging, exhibiting superior sensitivity and resolution than SPECT in clinical practice. To this aim, it was conjugated to NOTA chelator that is commonly employed for <sup>68</sup>Ga labeling of antibody-derived tracers. In addition, the high affinity and specificity of A1-His sdAb position it as a promising candidate for theranostic applications. In anticipation of future radiolabeling with beta-emitting radionuclides, DOTA-conjugated A1-His was also evaluated. Given the high thermal stability of sdAbs, this DOTA-conjugated sdAb could potentially be implemented in future studies as a theranostic agent with beta-emitting radionuclides.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>A1-His was successfully conjugated to p-SCN-Bn-DOTA and p-SCN-Bn-NOTA under optimized conditions, achieving chelator-to-sdAb ratios of 1.8 and 1.3, respectively. NOTA-A1-His allowed rapid radiolabeling with <sup>68</sup>Ga at room temperature, achieving high radiochemical purity (> 98%) within 5 min. Using DOTA, similar purity was obtained at 60 °C for 15 min. Both radiotracers demonstrated stability over 4 h in the radiolabeling medium and 2 h in human blood. However, some instability was observed in murine blood. Biodistribution and imaging studies in mice bearing mesothelin-expressing tumors showed specific tumor targeting for both tracers. Notably, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-A1-His exhibited twofold lower kidney uptake compared to [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-A1-His, potentially enhancing imaging contrast and reducing renal radiation exposure. His-tag removal, further improves the biodistribution profile of the 2 tracers.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Both p-SCN-Bn-DOTA and p-SCN-Bn-NOTA chelators can be effectively conjugated to the A1 sdAb and radiolabeled with <sup>68</sup>Ga, producing stable radiotracers with specific tumor-targeting capabilities. NOTA chelator offers advantages in rapid, room-temperature radiolabeling. However, DOTA would offer the advantage to be employed for theranostic approaches using β<sup>−</sup> emitters such as <sup>177</sup>Lu or <sup>161</sup>Tb. The lower kidney retention of DOTA-A1 also suggests that its dosimetry, a key factor in theranostic, would be more favorable.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejnmmipharmchem.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41181-025-00380-5","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144868933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Developing ether and alcohol based extraction chromatography resins for purification of antimony-119 in nuclear medicine","authors":"Aivija Grundmane, Illarion Dovhyi, Lauren Aburto-Kung, Steffen Happel, Caterina F Ramogida, Valery Radchenko","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00379-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00379-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Background\u0000 <p>Antimony-119 (<sup>119</sup>Sb, t<sub>1/2</sub> = 38.19 h) is an Auger electron emitting radionuclide of interest for radiopharmaceutical therapy. It can be directly produced by proton bombardment of tin-119 using low energy cyclotrons. The radiochemical separation methods available for recovering <sup>119</sup>Sb from the bulk Sn target material are lacking, particularly with respect to matrix suitability for further applications.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Results\u0000 <p>Eight new resins were successfully synthesized, evaluating combinations of two different resin support materials with three different chain lengths of ethers (dibutyl, dipentyl, dioctyl) as well as fluorinated alcohol as the impregnated extractant. All resins showed good stability, losing less than 1% of functional groups in HCl and water. Seven out of eight synthesized resins showed excellent capacity, retaining tens to hundreds of milligrams of Sb per gram of resin. Seven out of eight synthesized resins, as well as one of the resin supports showed good separation between Sb and Sn based on the distribution coefficient studies as well as dynamic elution studies.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Conclusions\u0000 <p>Our tested resins may be applied for the separation of radiotracer amounts of Sb from bulk Sn target material. We propose the dibutyl ether functionalized divinylbenzene copolymer resin support (DBE-300 resin) as the best candidate, based on the following characteristics: (1) quantitative, concentrated elution of Sn offering compatibility with recycling of enriched <sup>119</sup>Sn material; (2) near-quantitative (98%), concentrated recovery of <sup>119</sup>Sb in ethanol, providing a matrix resistant to hydrolysis, easy to convert by evaporation, as well as toxicologically insignificant pre-clinically and even clinically.</p>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ejnmmipharmchem.springeropen.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s41181-025-00379-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144832312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca Rizzo, Paolo Rainone, Rachele Stefania, Sara Belloli, Silvia Valtorta, Angela Coliva, Marco Maspero, Lidia Avalle, Martina Capozza, Rosa Maria Moresco, Calogero D’Alessandria, Enzo Terreno
{"title":"Preclinical evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-AAZTA-FAPI-46: a novel PET tracer for targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP)","authors":"Rebecca Rizzo, Paolo Rainone, Rachele Stefania, Sara Belloli, Silvia Valtorta, Angela Coliva, Marco Maspero, Lidia Avalle, Martina Capozza, Rosa Maria Moresco, Calogero D’Alessandria, Enzo Terreno","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00375-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00375-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The aim of this work was to demonstrate the suitability of AAZTA chelator conjugated to a FAPI-46-derived FAP inhibitor and labelled with gallium-68 as a potential PET tracer.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Gallium-68 radiolabelling was achieved with high radiochemical yield at room temperature. The new tracer was stable in different media, showing specific binding to FAP-protein both in vitro and in vivo, and a suitable biodistribution and clearance. High tumor uptake of the tracer (1.01 ± 0.12 SUV 35 min p.i.) was found in 4T1-tumor bearing mice, and blocking experiments demonstrated the high target specificity.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The substitution of the DOTA chelator with the AAZTA ligand on FAPI-46 moiety allowed a fast radiolabelling at room temperature of the PET tracer without influencing the biodistribution properties, such as clearance and FAP-mediated tumor uptake, but rather expanding the tracer applicability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12325145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144783082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Production of 211At and automated radiosynthesis of [211At]MABG via electrophilic astatodesilylation","authors":"Yuto Kondo, Taiki Joho, Shigenori Sasaki, Kazumasa Mochizuki, Naoko Hasegawa, Naoyuki Ukon, Ken-ichi Nishijima, Kohshin Washiyama, Hiroshi Tanaka, Tatsuya Higashi, Noriko S. Ishioka, Kazuhiro Takahashi","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00376-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00376-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>[<sup>211</sup>At]<i>m</i>-Astatobenzylguanidine ([<sup>211</sup>At]MABG) has demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy in preclinical models of malignant neuroendocrine tumours including neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma. The high linear energy transfer and short tissue penetration range of alpha particles enable highly localized cytotoxic effects, potentially overcoming therapeutic limitations associated with conventional beta-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. However, under clinical-scale (i.e., high radioactivity) conditions, the efficient and stable production of [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG has been hindered by radiolytic degradation during the manufacturing process limiting the availability of reliable methods offering high radiochemical yield and purity. In this study, we aimed to develop a scalable production methodology for [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG suitable for clinical translation.</p><h3>Results</h3><p><sup>211</sup>At was produced via the <sup>209</sup>Bi(α,2n)<sup>211</sup>At nuclear reaction using a cyclotron, with <sup>210</sup>At formation minimised by precise control of the alpha particle energy. The resulting product was purified using an automated dry distillation system. [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG was synthesised using the COSMiC-Mini automated synthesiser in 28.2 ± 2.8 min from initial <sup>211</sup>At activities of up to 586.1 MBq. The radiochemical yield and purity were 80.3 ± 4.4% (decay-corrected RCY: 84.0 ± 4.5%) and 99.0 ± 0.7%, respectively (n = 6). The addition of sodium ascorbate as a radical scavenger contributed to maintaining a high radiochemical yield and purity during large-scale production. The final product was obtained as a sterile solution.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In this study, we established a reliable and scalable production methodology for [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG, consistently achieving high radiochemical yield and purity across a wide range of radioactivity levels through optimization of the automated radiosynthesis process and the use of radiolytic stabilizers. This approach provides a solid technical foundation for the clinical application of [<sup>211</sup>At]MABG in targeted alpha therapy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12325123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144783095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Athanasios Bitzios, Ivan Zelepukin, Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia, Theodosia Maina, Berthold A. Nock, Vladimir Tolmachev, Anna Orlova
{"title":"RM2 and DB15 analogues bearing [177Lu]Lu-DOTAGA via different linkers, as radiotherapeutics: a head-to-head comparative study","authors":"Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Athanasios Bitzios, Ivan Zelepukin, Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia, Theodosia Maina, Berthold A. Nock, Vladimir Tolmachev, Anna Orlova","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00374-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00374-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Bombesin analogues are gaining popularity as GRPR-targeting theranostic agents aiming to provide molecular tools for a patient-tailored management. We previously reported on two series of DOTAGA-bearing GRPR-antagonists, based on either [NMe-Gly<sup>11</sup>]RM26 (DOTAGA-X-DPhe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-NMe-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH<sub>2</sub>) or on DB15 (DOTAGA-X-SAR; SAR: DPhe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-NMe-Gly-His-Leu-NHEt) motifs, which were preclinically screened after labelling with In-111. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the four best-performing agents, AU-RM26-M2 (X: PEG2-Pip; Pip: 4-amino-1-carboxymethyl-piperidine), AU-RM26-M4 (X: Arg-Arg-Pip), AU-SAR-M1 (X: AMA-DIG; AMA: p-amino methylaniline, DIG: diglycolate) and AU-SAR-M2 (Arg-AMA-DIG), this time labelled with the therapeutic radionuclide Lu-177.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>All four [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-peptide radioligands displayed highly GRPR-mediated cellular uptake, showing the typical profile of radioantagonists, with the bulk of cell-associated radioactivity being membrane-bound. The analogues demonstrated good in vivo stability, which was however further improved by in situ stabilization induced by pretreatment of animals with Entresto as the source of the potent neprilysin (NEP)-inhibitor sacubitrilat. The biodistribution profile of the four radiopeptides was determined in prostate cancer PC-3 xenograft-bearing mice at 4 h and 23 h pi, after Entresto pre-treatment. All peptide radioligands had a rapid clearance from the background tissues, with the highest activity uptake found in the implanted tumours, the kidneys and to a lesser extent the GRPR-rich pancreas. The activity in the pancreas and, on a smaller scale, in the kidneys was washed out by 23 h pi, while being highly retained in the tumours. Among the tested analogues, [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-SAR-M1 displayed the overall most favourable properties, combining the lowest retention in the kidneys with high and prolonged activity accumulation in the tumours. As a result, [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-SAR-M1 provided the best area under the curve (AUC) ratio between tumour and kidneys (5.4), in comparison with [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-SAR-M2 (3.8), [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-RM26-M4 (3.4), and [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-RM26-M2 (1.1).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>In conclusion, these results qualify [<sup>177</sup>Lu]Lu-AU-SAR-M1 as the candidate of choice for further evaluation in a dedicated preclinical radiotherapy study.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314183/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144758826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rachel Roberts, Tim Carthy, Jennifer Young, Temi Awogboro, Howard Greenwood, Jane Sosabowski, Scott Heath, Francis Livens
{"title":"Minimising the impact of stable 208Pb on recovery of 212Pb from a generator","authors":"Rachel Roberts, Tim Carthy, Jennifer Young, Temi Awogboro, Howard Greenwood, Jane Sosabowski, Scott Heath, Francis Livens","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00357-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00357-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Stable <sup>208</sup>Pb will accumulate over time in all <sup>212</sup>Pb generators, forming an increasing proportion of the Pb atoms and potentially impacting the efficiency of chelation of <sup>212</sup>Pb. This paper models the accumulation of <sup>208</sup>Pb in <sup>212</sup>Pb-parent generators with time, calculates the optimal elution time with respect to effective specific activity (ESA) of the <sup>212</sup>Pb produced, and considers whether the presence of <sup>208</sup>Pb could prevent the required molar activities (A<sub>m</sub>) being achieved. A matrix calculation was utilised to model the decay of <sup>224</sup>Ra and <sup>228</sup>Th parents in generators and the associated accumulation of <sup>208</sup>Pb with time. This model was used to calculate the optimal elution times for each generator with respect to ESA and A<sub>m</sub>.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The optimal elution time with respect to A<sub>m</sub> of <sup>212</sup>Pb is 16.5 h for a <sup>224</sup>Ra generator (61.0% of <sup>224</sup>Ra starting activity, A<sub>m</sub> = 6997 MBq <sup>212</sup>Pb/nmol total Pb) and 19.2 h for a <sup>228</sup>Th generator (71.4% of <sup>228</sup>Th starting activity, A<sub>m</sub> = 6566 MBq <sup>212</sup>Pb/nmol total Pb).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The limited data available in literature shows the level of <sup>208</sup>Pb present in these studies does not prevent attainment of the required molar activities for pre-clinical or clinical work. However, with other chelators and under other conditions this may not be the case. The authors would encourage others to measure and report the level of <sup>208</sup>Pb in <sup>212</sup>Pb generator eluates alongside radiolabelling results and the max A<sub>m</sub> of the radiopharmaceutical <sup>212</sup>Pb (vector molecule (VM)) achieved.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12311066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144751994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna Meyer, Thomas Ziegler, Jutta Moosbauer, Dirk Hellwig, Christian Fischer
{"title":"Optimization of a GMP-compliant automated one-pot synthesis of Al[18F]F-NOTA-Ubiquicidin29 − 41 for bacterial infection imaging by PET/CT","authors":"Anna Meyer, Thomas Ziegler, Jutta Moosbauer, Dirk Hellwig, Christian Fischer","doi":"10.1186/s41181-025-00370-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s41181-025-00370-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Background\u0000 <p>Bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance constitute significant threats to global human health, resulting in millions of fatalities annually. The development of innovative diagnostic agents is essential to facilitate precision medicine approaches in the battle against infectious diseases. Infection imaging using radiolabeled antimicrobial peptides (AMP) has emerged as a promising approach to detect bacterial infections. UBI(29–41), an AMP fragment, exhibits binding to bacterial cell membranes. Conjugated to chelators, UBI(29–41) has been labeled with radiometals such as <sup>99m</sup>Tc or <sup>68</sup>Ga, and proven its ability to differentiate between sterile inflammation and infection with S. aureus by imaging. Due to its physical properties, <sup>18</sup>F is more favorable for PET/CT imaging. As peptide labeling with <sup>18</sup>F is challenging, we here implemented the Al<sup>18</sup>F labeling approach. This study aims to develop an optimized, fully automated, GMP-compliant process for radiolabeling of NOTA-conjugated UBI(29–41) with Al<sup>18</sup>F for PET/CT imaging of infections.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Results\u0000 <p>Optimized reaction conditions led to the establishment of a robust Al<sup>18</sup>Fcomplexation protocol, which was implemented on a SynChrom R&D module. The labeling reaction was carried out in an acidic medium (pH 4.0) at 105 °C for 15 min, followed by a two-step HPLC purification for 20 min. Optimization of reagent concentrations enabled an activity yield up to 10 ± 1 GBq, with a radiochemical yield of 24.2 ± 0.6% and an apparent molar activity of 45 ± 4 GBq/µmol at end of synthesis (EOS) (<i>n</i> = 3). The radiochemical purity was 96.6 ± 0.3% as determined by analytical HPLC, using UV absorption (220 nm). Quality control was successfully established using validated analytical procedures.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <span>AbstractSection</span>\u0000 Conclusions\u0000 <p>The developed GMP-compliant radiolabelling process yields reproducible results with sufficient activities for further translation and investigations of clinical PET/CT imaging using Al[<sup>18</sup>F]F-NOTA-UBI(29–41) in infectious diseases.</p>\u0000 \u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":534,"journal":{"name":"EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12304352/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}