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The cerebral cholinergic system is involved in several cognitive processes and neuropsychiatric 2 diseases. For research purposes and later on in routine clinical settings new PET radioligands with more favorable characteristics than the established 3-pyridylether derivatives with their slow kinetics are necessary. Here we present the first in-human brain PET imaging data of the new α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-targeting radioligand (+)-[18F]Flubatine. Primary aim of this study was to develop a kinetic modeling-based approach to quantify the α4β2 nAChR availability in the human brain and to compare respective data of healthy controls (HCs) with those of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Secondary aims were to investigate whether (+)-[18F]Flubatine binding was correlated to cognitive test data or β-amyloid radiotracer accumulation. Furthermore, the partial volume effect (PVE) on regional (+)-[18F]Flubatine binding was investigated. We examined 11 non-smoking HCs and 9 non-smoking patients with mild AD without anti-dementive drugs. Prior to (+)-[18F]Flubatine PET, all subjects underwent an extensive neuropsychological testing and a β-amyloid [11C]PiB PET/MRI examination. To evaluate the (+)-[18F]Flubatine PET data, we used full kinetic modeling (one and two tissue compartment 16 modeling (1TCM and 2TCM)) and regional as well as voxel-based analyses. 270 min p.i., the unchanged parent compound in arterial blood amounted to 97±2%. As revealed by regional analysis, (+)-[18F]Flubatine distribution volume (binding) was significantly reduced in the bilateral mesial temporal cortex in AD patients compared to HCs (right: AD: 10.6±1.1 vs HC: 11.6±1.4, p=0.049; left: AD: 11.0±1.1 vs HCs:12.2±1.8, p=0.046). Voxel-based analysis detected further clusters of reduced (+)-[18F]Flubatine in left precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, right superior temporal and left middle temporal cortex (k>30, p0.5, p

Innovations in radiochemistry and pharmacology are opening new vistas for studies of nicotinergic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in human brain by positron emission tomography (PET) and by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). In parallel, instrumentation optimized for molecular imaging in rodents facilitates preclinical studies in models of human diseases with perturbed nAChR signalling, notably Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and traumatic brain injury. The nAChRs are ligand-gated ion channels composed of five subunits forming a central pore for cation flux. The most abundant nAChRs in the central nervous system are heteropentamers (designated α4β2), followed by the α7 homopentamer. We present a systematic review of published findings with the various nAChR ligands using imaging techniques in vivo, emphasizing preclinical models and human studies.. Molecular PET imaging of the α4β2 nAChR subtype with the antagonist 2-[18F]fluoro-A-85380 is hampered by the long acquisition times. Newer agents such as (-)-[18F]flubatine, [18F]XTRA or [18F]nifene permit quantitation of α4β2 receptors with PET recordings lasting 90 minutes or less, and without the toxicity risk of earlier epibatidine derivatives. The early PET studies of α7 nAChRs suffered from low pharmacological specificity, further hampered by low natural abundance of the receptor. However, several good α7 nAChR ligands such as [18F]ASEM and [18F]DBT10 have emerged in the past few years. There are still no ligands selective for α6-containing nAChRs, despite their importance for nicotine-induced dopamine release in striatum. Selective α3β4 nAChR radioligands are under development, but remain untested in clinical studies of depression and addiction. Several nAChR ligands find use for pharmacological occupancy studies, and competition from endogenous acetylcholine reduces α4β2 binding site availability, a property that enables monitoring by PET of acetylcholine release in living brain.

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of misfolded protein aggregates that form in neurodegenerative processes of the brain is key to providing a robust marker for improved diagnosis and evaluation of treatments. We report the development of advanced radiotracer candidates based on the sulfoxide scaffold found in proton pump inhibitors (lansoprazole, prevacid) with inherent affinity to neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (e.g., dementia with Lewy bodies and the frontotemporal degeneration syndrome). First-in-man results obtained with [18F]lansoprazole and N-methyl-[18F]lansoprazole were used to guide the design of a set of 24 novel molecules with suitable properties for neuroimaging with PET. Compounds were synthesized and characterized pharmacologically, and the binding affinity of the compounds to synthetic human tau-441 fibrils was determined. Selectivity of binding was assessed using α-synuclein and β-amyloid fibrils to address the key misfolded proteins of relevance in dementia. To complete the pharmacokinetic profiling in vitro, plasma protein binding and lipophilicity were investigated. Highly potent and selective new radiotracer candidates were identified for further study.

Aim/Introduction: The question of whether the presence of the APOE ε4 allele impacts α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4β2-nAChR) availability in Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) was so far mainly studied post-mortem, and is subject of a controversial debate. We aimed to answering this question in vivo using the recently developed α4β2-nAChR-specific radioligand (-)-[18F] Flubatine and PET. Materials and Methods: Non-smoking, drug-naïve AD-APOE ε4+ (n=7; 76±6ys; 6 females; MMSE 24±3) and AD-APOE ε4- (n=9; 75±7ys; 7 females; MMSE 24±2, n. sign. vs. AD-APOE ε4+) were investigated using (-)-[18F]Flubatine (370 MBq, ECAT Exact HR+, 0-90min p.i.) and compared with non-smoking healthy controls (HC; n=13; 72±4ys; 7 females). For quantification of the α4β2-nAChR availability, kinetic modeling (1TCM, Logan) was performed and the distribution volume (VT) was calculated. VOI analyses of a-priori selected brain regions and exploratory SPM analyses were carried out (ANCOVA, significance at P3.0; P

Both (+)-[18F]flubatine and its enantiomer (−)-[18F]flubatine are radioligands for the neuroimaging of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by positron emission tomography (PET). In a clinical study in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease, (+)-[18F]flubatine ((+)-[18F]1) was examined regarding its metabolic fate, in particular by identification of degradation products detected in plasma and urine. The investigations included an in vivo study of (+)-flubatine ((+)-1) in pigs and structural elucidation of formed metabolites by LC-MS/MS. Incubations of (+)-1 and (+)-[18F]1 with human liver microsomes were performed to generate in vitro metabolites, as well as radiometabolites, which enabled an assignment of their structures by comparison of LC-MS/MS and radio-HPLC data. Plasma and urine samples taken after administration of (+)-[18F]1 in humans were examined by radio-HPLC and, on the basis of results obtained in vitro and in vivo, formed radiometabolites were identified. In pigs, (+)-1 was monohydroxylated at different sites of the azabicyclic ring system of the molecule. Additionally, one intermediate metabolite underwent glucuronidation, as also demonstrated in vitro. In humans, a fraction of 95.9 ± 1.9% (n = 10) of unchanged tracer remained in plasma, 30 min after injection. However, despite the low metabolic degradation, both radiometabolites formed in humans could be characterized as (i) a product of C-hydroxylation at the azabicyclic ring system, and (ii) a glucuronide conjugate of the precedingly-formed N8-hydroxylated (+)-[18F]1.

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Both (+)-[18F]flubatine and its enantiomer (-)-[18F]flubatine are radioligands for the neuroimaging of a4ß2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by positron emission tomography (PET). Within a clinical study in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease, (+)-[18F]flubatine ((+)-[18F]1) was examined regarding its metabolic fate, in particular by identification of degradation products detected in plasma and urine. The investigations included an in vivo study of (+)-flubatine ((+)-1) in pig and structural elucidation of formed metabolites by LC-MS/MS. Incubations of (+)-1 and (+)-[18F]1 with human liver microsomes were performed to generate in vitro metabolites as well as radiometabolites, which enabled an assignment of their structures by comparison of LC-MS/MS and radio-HPLC data. Plasma and urine samples taken after administration of (+)-[18F]1 into human were examined by radio-HPLC and, on the basis of results obtained in vitro and in vivo, formed radiometabolites were identified. In pig, (+)-1 was monohydroxylated at different sites of the azabicyclic ring system of the molecule. Additionally, one intermediate metabolite underwent glucuronidation, as also demonstrated in vitro. In human, 95.9 ? 1.9% (N = 10) of unchanged tracer remained in plasma, 30 min after injection. However, despite the low metabolic degradation, both radiometabolites formed could be characterized as i.) a product of C-hydroxylation at the azabicyclic ring system and ii.) a glucuronide conjugate of previously N8-hydroxylated (+)-[18F]1.

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Radiolabeled tracers targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have become important radiopharmaceuticals for the PET-imaging of prostate cancer. In this connection, we recently developed the fluorine-18-labelled PSMA-ligand [18F]PSMA-1007 as the next generation radiofluorinated Glu-ureido PSMA inhibitor after [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]DCFBC. Since radiosynthesis so far has been suffering from rather poor yields, novel procedures for the automated radiosyntheses of [18F]PSMA-1007 have been developed. We herein report on both the two-step and the novel one-step procedures, which have been performed on different commonly-used radiosynthesisers. Using the novel one-step procedure, the [18F]PSMA-1007 was produced in good radiochemical yields ranging from 25 to 80% and synthesis times of less than 55 min. Furthermore, upscaling to product activities up to 50 GBq per batch was successfully conducted. All batches passed quality control according to European Pharmacopoeia standards. Therefore, we were able to disclose a new, simple and, at the same time, high yielding production pathway for the next generation PSMA radioligand [18F]PSMA-1007. Actually, it turned out that the radiosynthesis is as easily realised as the well-known [18F]FDG synthesis and, thus, transferable to all currently-available radiosynthesisers. Using the new procedures, the clinical daily routine can be sustainably supported in-house even in larger hospitals by a single production batch.

Radiolabelled tracers targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have become important radiopharmaceuticals for the PET-imaging of prostate cancer. In this connection we recently developed the fluorine-18 labelled PSMA-ligand [18F]PSMA-1007 as next generation radiofluorinated Glu-ureido PSMA inhibitor after [18F]DCFPyL and [18F]DCFBC. Since radiosynthesis so far was suffering for rather poor yields novel procedures for the automated radiosyntheses of [18F]PSMA-1007 have been developed. We herein report on both the two-step and the novel one-step procedures, which have been performed on different commonly used radiosynthesisers. Using the novel one-step procedure the [18F]PSMA-1007 was produced in good radiochemical yields ranging from 30-70 % and synthesis times less than 55 minutes. Furthermore, upscaling to product activities up to 50 GBq per batch was successfully conducted. All batches passed quality control according to European Pharmacopoeia standards. Therefore, we were able to disclose a new, simple and at the same time high yielding production pathway for the next generation PSMA radioligand [18F]PSMA-1007. Actually it turned out that the radiosynthesis is as easily realised as the well-known [18F]FDG synthesis and thus transferable onto all currently available radiosynthesisers. Using the new procedures, clinical daily routine can be sustainably supported in-house even in larger hospitals by a single production batch.

Objectives: Radiometabolites can affect PET imaging dramatically due to their expected different properties. Therefore identification of radiometabolites is an important step to understand the metabolic fate of a radioligand. The approach presented demonstrates how LC-MS supports in vitro experiments and contributes to explore the metabolic profile of two tracers recently studied in human brain [1, 2]. Methods: (+)-[18F]Flubatine ([18F]1) and (S)-[18F]Fluspidine ([18F]2) (Figure 1), as well as nonradioactive references were incubated with human liver microsomes (HLM) in presence of NADPH and/or activated glucuronic acid (UDPGA) at 37°C. Radiometabolite patterns were monitored by radio-HPLC and structures were identified by LC-MS of non-radioactive incubations using different MS-methods (EPI, MS3). Plasma (30 min p.i.) and urine (90 min p.i.) from human subjects receiving [18F]1 or [18F]2 during clinical studies were investigated and compared with results von microsomal incubations. Results: During HLM incubations in presence of NADPH, mono-hydroxylation was predominant for both, 1 and 2, beside debenzylation of 2. In presence of UDPGA 1 and 2 underwent glucuronidation, but only after previous hydroxylation. Corresponding in vitro radiometabolites were detected by radio-HPLC and assigned regarding their structure. Samples obtained from humans showed high stability of both tracers, whereby [18F]1 (97.0% in plasma 30 min p.i, n=6) proved to be more stable than [18F]2 (85.3% in plasma 30 min p.i, n=3). However, hydroxylation and subsequent glucuronidation was found to be the major metabolic pathway of both tracers. Conclusions: Using in vitro studies and LC-MS, in vivo radiometabolites could be identified. Beside high metabolic stability, [18F]1 and [18F]2 show similar major pathways, namely glucuronidation after previous hydroxylation. Acknowledgements: Supported by the Helmholtz Validation Fund (HVF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). References: [1] Sattler et al. (2015), J Nucl Med, 56, suppl. 3, 1020; [2] Sattler et al. (2016), J Nucl Med, 57, suppl. 2, 1022.

Objectives: In an ongoing clinical study (–)-(S)-[18F]fluspidine (1, 2) is being investigated for imaging of sigma-1 receptors in patients with major depression by PET. Beside estimation of the fraction of unchanged radiotracer in plasma and urine, radiometabolites formed should be detected and their structures elucidated. Methods: (–)-(S)-[18F]Fluspidine or unlabelled reference were incubated with human liver microsomes (HLM) in presence of NADPH and/or activated glucuronic acid (UDPGA) at 37°C. Metabolites were detected by radio-HPLC or LC-MS and characterized by aid of reference compounds or structural elucidation using different MS methods (EPI, MS3). Plasma (10, 20, 30 min p.i) and urine (90 min p.i.) samples of human subjects receiving 268 (245-290) MBq (–)-(S)-[18F]fluspidine i.v. were investigated and compared to results from HLM incubations. Results: By incubation with HLM mainly 3 hydroxylation products and one debenzylation product were formed. The product hydroxylated at the alkyl side chain was glucuronidated subsequently. Plasma samples (10, 20, 30 min p.i.) obtained from human showed 97.7%, 93.8%, and 88.6% (SD=2.6-7.9, n=6-8) of unchanged tracer. In urine (90 min p.i.) the fraction of tracer was 0–7.8% (average of 2.3%, n=10) and up to 3 main radiometabolites were detected (Figure 1). The one with the highest intensity, also found in plasma, matched the glucuronide formed in vitro. Debenzylation of the parent tracer was detected with a small proportion. Conclusions: The results demonstrate an appropriate metabolic stability of (–)-(S)-[18F]fluspidine for the application as PET ligand. The structure of the major radiometabolite found in plasma and urine could be assigned by means of in vitro studies. Routes of metabolism are currently investigated in more detail. 302 References: [1] German Clinical Trial Register, DRKS-ID: DRKS00008321 [2] Fischer et al. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging 2011, 38, 540–551

Background Both enantiomers of [18F]flubatine are new radioligands for neuroimaging of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with positron emission tomography (PET) exhibiting promising pharmacokinetics which makes them attractive for different clinical questions. In a previous preclinical study, the main advantage of (+)-[18F]flubatine compared to (−)-[18F]flubatine was its higher binding affinity suggesting that (+)-[18F]flubatine might be able to detect also slight reductions of α4β2 nAChRs and could be more sensitive than (−)-[18F]flubatine in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. To support the clinical translation, we investigated a fully image-based internal dosimetry approach for (+)-[18F]flubatine, comparing mouse data collected on a preclinical PET/MRI system to piglet and first-in-human data acquired on a clinical PET/CT system. Time-activity curves (TACs) were obtained from the three species, the animal data extrapolated to human scale, exponentially fitted and the organ doses (OD), and effective dose (ED) calculated with OLINDA. Results The excreting organs (urinary bladder, kidneys, and liver) receive the highest organ doses in all species. Hence, a renal/hepatobiliary excretion pathway can be assumed. In addition, the ED conversion factors of 12.1 μSv/MBq (mice), 14.3 μSv/MBq (piglets), and 23.0 μSv/MBq (humans) were calculated which are well within the order of magnitude as known from other 18F-labeled radiotracers. Conclusions Although both enantiomers of [18F]flubatine exhibit different binding kinetics in the brain due to the respective affinities, the effective dose revealed no enantiomer-specific differences among the investigated species. The preclinical dosimetry and biodistribution of (+)-[18F]flubatine was shown and the feasibility of a dose assessment based on image data acquired on a small animal PET/MR and a clinical PET/CT was demonstrated. Additionally, the first-in-human study confirmed the tolerability of the radiation risk of (+)-[18F]flubatine imaging which is well within the range as caused by other 18F-labeled tracers. However, as shown in previous studies, the ED in humans is underestimated by up to 50 % using preclinical imaging for internal dosimetry. This fact needs to be considered when applying for first-in-human studies based on preclinical biokinetic data scaled to human anatomy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40658-016-0160-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Both enantiomers of [18F]flubatine are promising radioligands for neuroimaging of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by positron emission tomography (PET). To support clinical studies in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease, a detailed examination of the metabolism in vitro and in vivo has been performed. (+)- and (−)-flubatine, respectively, were incubated with liver microsomes from mouse and human in the presence of NADPH (β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 2′-phosphate reduced tetrasodium salt). Phase I in vitro metabolites were detected and their structures elucidated by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). Selected metabolite candidates were synthesized and investigated for structural confirmation. Besides a high level of in vitro stability, the microsomal incubations revealed some species differences as well as enantiomer discrimination with regard to the formation of monohydroxylated products, which was identified as the main metabolic pathway in this assay. Furthermore, after injection of 250 MBq (+)-[18F]flubatine (specific activity > 350 GBq/μmol) into mouse, samples were prepared from brain, liver, plasma, and urine after 30 min and investigated by radio-HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography with radioactivity detection). For structure elucidation of the radiometabolites of (+)-[18F]flubatine formed in vivo, identical chromatographic conditions were applied to LC-MS/MS and radio-HPLC to compare samples obtained in vitro and in vivo. By this correlation approach, we assigned three of four main in vivo radiometabolites to products that are exclusively C- or N-hydroxylated at the azabicyclic ring system of the parent molecule.

Both enantiomers of [(18)F]flubatine are promising radioligands for neuroimaging of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by positron emission tomography (PET). To support clinical studies in patients with early Alzheimer's disease, a detailed examination of the metabolism in vitro and in vivo has been performed. (+)- and (-)-flubatine, respectively, were incubated with liver microsomes from mouse and human in the presence of NADPH (β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide 2'-phosphate reduced tetrasodium salt). Phase I in vitro metabolites were detected and their structures elucidated by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). Selected metabolite candidates were synthesized and investigated for structural confirmation. Besides a high level of in vitro stability, the microsomal incubations revealed some species differences as well as enantiomer discrimination with regard to the formation of monohydroxylated products, which was identified as the main metabolic pathway in this assay. Furthermore, after injection of 250 MBq (+)-[(18)F]flubatine (specific activity350 GBq/μmol) into mouse, samples were prepared from brain, liver, plasma, and urine after 30 min and investigated by radio-HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography with radioactivity detection). For structure elucidation of the radiometabolites of (+)-[(18)F]flubatine formed in vivo, identical chromatographic conditions were applied to LC-MS/MS and radio-HPLC to compare samples obtained in vitro and in vivo. By this correlation approach, we assigned three of four main in vivo radiometabolites to products that are exclusively C- or N-hydroxylated at the azabicyclic ring system of the parent molecule.

International audience; [18F]FMTEB, [18F]FPEB, [18F]flumazenil, [18F]DAA1106, [18F]MFBG, [18F]FDOPA, [18F]FMT and [18F]FDA are prepared from the corresponding arylboronic esters and [18F]KF/K222 in the presence of Cu(OTf)2py4. The method was successfully applied using three radiosynthetic platforms, and up to 26 GBq of non-carrier added starting activity of 18F-fluoride.

Background: Both enantiomers of [18F]flubatine are promising radioligands for neuroimaging of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with positron emission tomography (PET) exhibiting promising pharmacokinetics which makes them attractive for different clinical questions. Ina previous preclinical study, the main advantage of (+)-[18F]flubatine compared to (-)-[18F]flubatine was its higher binding affinity suggesting that (+)-[18F]flubatine might be able to detect also slight reductions of α4β2 nAChRs and could be more sensitive than (-)-[18F]flubatine in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. To support the clinical translation, we investigated a fully image-based internal dosimetry approach for (+)-[18F]flubatine, coparing mouse data collected on a preclinical PET/MR system to piglet and first-in-human data acquired on a clinical PET/CT system. Time-activity curves (TACs) were obtained from the three species, the animal data extrapolated to human scale, exponentially fitted and the organ doses (OD), and the effective dose (ED) calculated with OLINDA. Results: The excreting organs (urinary bladder, kidneys, and liver) receive the highest organ doses in all species. Hence, a renal/hepatobiliary excretion pathway can be assumed. In addition, the ED conversion factors of 12.1 µSv/MBq (mice), 14.3 µSv/MBq (piglets) and 23.0 µSv/MBq (humans) were calculated which are well within the order of magnitude as known from other 18F-labeled radiotracers. Conclusion: Although both enantiomers of [18F]flubatine] exhibit different binding kinetics in the brain due to the respective affinities, the effective dose revealed no enantiomer-specific differences among the investigated species. The preclinical dosimetry and biodistribution of (+)-[18F]flubatine was shown and the feasibility of a dose assessment based on image data acquired on a small animal PET/MR and a clinical PET/CT was demonstrated. Additionally, the first-in-human study confirmed the tolerability of the radiation risk of (+)-[18F]flubatine imaging which is well within the range as caused by other 18F-labeled tracers. However, as shown in previous studies, the ED in humans is underestimated by up to 50 % using preclinical imaging for internal dosimetry. This fact needs to be considered when applying for first-in-human studies based on preclinical biokinetic data scaled to human anatomy.

Ziel: In einer jüngst begonnenen klinischen Studie (1) wird die Veränderung der Verfügbarkeit von Sigma-1-Rezeptoren bei Patienten mit Depression mittels (–)-(S)-[18F]Fluspidine (2) und PET untersucht. Neben der Bestimmung des Anteils an Radiotracer in Plasma und Urin, war die Strukturaufklärung nachgewiesener Radiometaboliten Gegenstand unserer Arbeiten. Methodik: Nach Injektion von 255±9 MBq (n=3) (–)-(S)-[18F]Fluspidine, wurden Plasma (15, 30 min p.i.) und Urin (120 min p.i.) der Versuchsteilnehmer per Radio-HPLC untersucht. Für In-vitro-Studien wurden der Radiotracer bzw. unmarkiertes (–)-(S)-Fluspidine jeweils mit Lebermikrosomen des Menschen (HLM) sowie NADPH und /oder aktivierter Glucuronsäure (UDPGA) bei 37°C in PBS-Puffer inkubiert und die Ansätze mittels Radio-HPLC bzw. LC-MS untersucht. Mit Hilfe verschiedener MS-Methoden (z. B. EPI, MS3) wurden Strukturen von Metaboliten identifiziert und im Menschen gebildeten Radiometaboliten zugeordnet. Ergebnisse: Bei ersten Messungen an Probanden lag der Anteil an (–)-(S)-[18F]Fluspidine im Plasma nach 30 min bei 85%. Die Extraktionsausbeute der Plasmafällung betrug 96-98%. Im Urin wurde ein Radiotracer-Anteil von 0 - 4% (120 min, p.i., n=3) bestimmt. Es wurden 3 Hauptmetaboliten detektiert. Durch Inkubation mit HLM wurden unter oxidativen Bedingungen, Metaboliten in vitro gebildet. Mit UDPGA wurde zudem die Bildung von Glucuroniden beobachtet, von denen eines chromatographisch mit einem im Menschen gefundenen Haupt-Radiometaboliten übereinstimmt. LC-MS-Untersuchungen zeigten, dass dieser durch Glucuronidierung infolge einer Oxidation am nicht-benzylischen Molekülteil entstand. Schlussfolgerungen: Erste klinische Untersuchungen zeigten eine für die Anwendung geeignete metabolische Stabilität, wobei einer der Hauptmetaboliten bereits identifiziert werden konnte. Über weitere Daten im Studienverlauf sowie über Strukturaufklärung wird berichtet. Literatur: (1) DRKS-ID:DRKS00008321 (2) Fischer et al. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging (2011) 38: 540-551

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Objectives: The peptide oxytocin is synthesized in the hypothalamus and acts as neurotransmitter to regulate a diverse range of CNS functions. Its receptor (OTR) is expressed in specific brain areas related to psychiatric diseases. So far, a non-invasive investigation of the OTR in brain is hampered by a lack of suitable radiotracers. To develope a PET ligand with high affinity toward OTR, we synthesized a series of fluorinated non-peptidic small molecules and performed radiofluorination of a selected candidate to investigate its in vivo properties in mice and pigs. Methods: Binding affinities of the compounds to the human OTR were determined by radioligand displacement studies. The radiosynthesis of [18F]ABX163 (KD = 12.3 nM) was performed via thermal and microwave heating (see scheme 1). Metabolism and organ distribution of the radiotracer were studied in female CD-1 mice. Dynamic PET scans were performed in mice (animal PET/MR; 60 min) and in one female piglet (PET; 120 min). Results: Using microwave heating for the synthesis of [18F]ABX163 provided higher RCY in shorter reaction time compared to thermal heating (RCY 25.4 ± 3.1% (n=5); SA 35-160 GBq/µmol; RP > 97%). Both organ distribution and dynamic PET imaging studies revealed limited uptake of the radiotracer in mouse brain (SUVmean = 0.04). Besides, significant uptake in the pituitary gland was observed (SUV55 min p.i. = 0.85), which indicates target-specific binding of [18F]ABX163. By a dynamic PET study in pig, a mean SUV of 0.43 was estimated for the whole brain at 120 min p.i. A two fold higher uptake was observed in the olfactory bulb (SUV120 min p.i. = 0.73), a region with high expression of OTR. In vitro autoradiography studies on rat and pig brain slices revealed an interaction of [18F]ABX163 with several off target receptors. Conclusion: Due to the low brain uptake and the insufficient selectivity, [18F]ABX163 is not suitable for imaging of OTR in living brain. Acknowledgment: The authors thank the SAB (Sächsische AufbauBank) for funding this project.