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Introduction: Development of radiolabeled octreotide analogues is of interest for targeting somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive tumors for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. We are investigating a direct labeling approach for incorporation of a Re ion into octreotide analogues, where the peptide sequences are cyclized via coordination to Re rather than through a disulfide bridge., Methods: Various octreotide analogue sequences and coordination systems (e.g., S(2)N(2) and S(3)N) were synthesized and cyclized with nonradioactive Re. In vitro competitive binding assays with (111)In-DOTA-Tyr(3)-octreotide in AR42J rat pancreatic tumor cells yielded IC(50) values as a measure of SSTR affinity of the Re-cyclized analogues. Three-dimensional structures of Re-cyclized Tyr(3)-octreotate and its disulfide-bridged analogue were calculated from two-dimensional NMR experiments to visualize the effect of metal cyclization on the analogue's pharmacophore., Results: Only two of the 11 Re-cyclized analogues investigated showed moderate in vitro binding affinity toward somatostatin subtype 2 receptors. Three-dimensional molecular structures of Re- and disulfide-cyclized Tyr(3)-octreotate were calculated, and both of their pharmacophore turns appear to be very similar with minor differences due to metal coordination to the amide nitrogen of one of the pharmacophore amino acids., Conclusions: Various Re-cyclized analogues were developed and analogue 4 had moderate affinity toward somatostatin subtype 2 receptors. In vitro stable studies that are in progress showed stable radiometal cyclization of octreotide analogues via NS(3) and N(2)S(2) coordination forming five- and six-membered chelate rings. In vivo biodistribution studies are underway of (99m)Tc-cyclized analogue 4., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The structure-activity relationships of a series of rhenium (Re)-cyclized octreotide derivatives are described. The effects of changes in the peptide sequence, N-terminus, and C-terminus on metal cyclization, as well as binding to the somatostatin receptor, were investigated. Each peptide complex was found to have an integrated Re(V) core with a single metal oxo group, two coordination sites filled by the cysteine sulfhydryls, and another by the amide nitrogen of Phe (3)/Tyr (3). The final coordination site was determined by the peptide N-terminus: the N-terminal amine coordinated for N-NH 2 peptides and the amide nitrogen of Thr (6) for peptides with acetylated N-termini. Re-cyclization of the octreotide derivatives led to structural perturbations of the somatostatin receptor-binding sequence relative to the Re-free disulfide analogues, resulting in reduced binding affinities. The findings presented herein demonstrate the importance of understanding the consequences of structural modifications when designing metal-peptide complexes for somatostatin receptor targeting.