Two π-Electrons Make the Difference: From BODIPY to BODIIM Switchable Fluorescent Dyes

(aza-)BODIPY dyes (boron dipyrromethene dyes) are well-established fluorophores due to their large quantum yields, stability, and diversity, which led to promising applications including imaging techniques, sensors, organic (opto)electronic materials, or biomedical applications. Although the control of the optical properties in (aza-)BODIPY dyes by peripheral functional groups is well studied, we herein present a novel approach to modify the 12 π-electron core of the dipyrromethene scaffold. The replacement of two carbon atoms in the β-position of a BODIPY dye by two nitrogen atoms afforded a 14 π-electron system, which was termed BODIIM (boron diimidazolylmethene) in systematic analogy to the BODIPY dyes. Remarkably, the BODIIM dye was obtained with a BH₂-rigidifying entity, which is currently elusive and highly sought after for the BODIPY dye class. DFT-Calculations confirm the [12+2] π-electron relationship between BODIPY and BODIIM and reveal a strong shape correlation between LUMO in the BODIPY and the HOMO of the BODIIM. The modification of the π-system leads to a dramatic shift of the optical properties, of which the fluorescent emission is most noteworthy and occurs at much larger Stokes shift, that is, ≈500 cm⁻¹ in BODIPY versus >4170 cm⁻¹ in BODIIM system in all solvents investigated. Nucleophilic reactivity was found at the meso-carbon atom in the formation of stable borane adducts with a significant shift of the fluorescent emission, and this behavior contrasts the reactivity of conventional BODIPY systems. In addition, the reverse decomplexation of the borane adducts was demonstrated in reactions with a representative N-heterocyclic carbene to retain the strongly fluorescent BODIIM compound, which suggests applications as fully reversible fluorescent switch.     

Copper‐Mediated Aromatic Radiofluorination Revisited: Efficient Production of PET Tracers on a Preparative Scale

Two novel methods for copper‐mediated aromatic nucleophilic radiofluorination were recently reported. Evaluation of these methods reveals that, although both are efficient in small‐scale experiments, they are inoperative for the production of positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. Since high base content turned out to be responsible for low radiochemical conversions, a “low base” protocol has been developed which affords ¹⁸F‐labeled arenes from diaryliodonium salts and aryl pinacol boronates in reasonable yields. Furthermore, implementation of our “minimalist” approach to the copper‐mediated [¹⁸F]‐fluorination of (mesityl)(aryl)iodonium salts allows the preparation of ¹⁸F‐labeled arenes in excellent RCCs. The novel radiofluorination method circumvents time‐consuming azeotropic drying and avoids the utilization of base and other additives, such as cryptands. Furthermore, this procedure enables the production of clinically relevant PET tracers; [¹⁸F]FDA, 4‐[¹⁸F]FPhe, and [¹⁸F]DAA1106 are obtained in good isolated radiochemical yields. Additionally, [¹⁸F]DAA1106 has been evaluated in a rat stroke model and demonstrates excellent potential for visualization of translocator protein 18 kDa overexpression associated with neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke.     

Sulfonyl Fluoride‐Based Prosthetic Compounds as Potential 18F Labelling Agents

Nucleophilic incorporation of [¹⁸F]F^? under aqueous conditions holds several advantages in radiopharmaceutical development, especially with the advent of complex biological pharmacophores. Sulfonyl fluorides can be prepared in water at room temperature, yet they have not been assayed as a potential means to ¹⁸F‐labelled biomarkers for PET chemistry. We developed a general route to prepare bifunctional 4‐formyl‐, 3‐formyl‐, 4‐maleimido‐ and 4‐oxylalkynl‐arylsulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluorides from their sulfonyl chloride analogues in 1:1 mixtures of acetonitrile, THF, or tBuOH and Cs[¹⁸F]F/Cs₂CO_3(aq.) in a reaction time of 15 min at room temperature. With the exception of 4‐N‐maleimide‐benzenesulfonyl fluoride ( 3 ), pyridine could be used to simplify radiotracer purification by selectively degrading the precursor without significantly affecting observed yields. The addition of pyridine at the start of [¹⁸F]fluorination (1:1:0.8 tBuOH/Cs₂CO_3(aq.)/pyridine) did not negatively affect yields of 3‐formyl‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 2 ) and dramatically improved the yields of 4‐(prop‐2‐ynyloxy)benzenesulfonyl [¹⁸F]fluoride ( 4 ). The N‐arylsulfonyl‐4‐dimethylaminopyridinium derivative of 4 ( 14 ) can be prepared and incorporates ¹⁸F efficiently in solutions of 100 % aqueous Cs₂CO₃ (10 mg mL^?1). As proof‐of‐principle, [¹⁸F] 2 was synthesised in a preparative fashion [88(±8) % decay corrected (n=6) from start‐of‐synthesis] and used to radioactively label an oxyamino‐modified bombesin(6–14) analogue [35(±6) % decay corrected (n=4) from start‐of‐synthesis]. Total preparation time was 105–109 min from start‐of‐synthesis. Although the ¹⁸F‐peptide exhibited evidence of proteolytic defluorination and modification, our study is the first step in developing an aqueous, room temperature ¹⁸F labelling strategy.     

Synthesis of 18F‐Difluoromethylarenes from Aryl (Pseudo) Halides

A general method for the synthesis of [¹⁸F]difluoromethylarenes from [¹⁸F]fluoride for radiopharmaceutical discovery is reported. The method is practical, operationally simple, tolerates a wide scope of functional groups, and enables the labeling of a variety of arenes and heteroarenes with radiochemical yields (RCYs, not decay‐corrected) from 10 to 60 %. The ¹⁸F‐fluorination precursors are readily prepared from aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates. Seven ¹⁸F‐difluoromethylarene drug analogues and radiopharmaceuticals including Claritin, fluoxetine (Prozac), and [¹⁸F]DAA1106 were synthesized to show the potential of the method for applications in PET radiopharmaceutical design.     

Ultrafast Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Viologen‐Linked BODIPY Dyes

New boron‐dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes linked to viologen are prepared and their photophysical and electrochemical properties are investigated. Both synthesized molecules have similar electronic absorption spectra with the absorption maximum localized at 517 and 501 nm for dye 1 and dye 2 , respectively. They exhibit well‐defined redox behavior, highlighting the presence of BODIPY and viologen subunits, with little perturbation of the redox potential of both subunits with respect to the parent compounds. Both dyes are heavily quenched by photoinduced electron transfer from the BODIPY to the viologen subunit. The transient absorption technique demonstrates that dye 2 forms the viologen radical within a timeframe of 7.1 ps, and that the charge‐separated species has a lifetime of 59 ps. Sustained irradiation of dye 2 in the presence of a tertiary amine allows for the accumulation of BODIPY–methyl‐4,4′‐bipyridinium (BODIPY–MV⁺), as observed by its characteristic absorption at 396 and 603 nm. However, dye 2 does not generate catalytic amounts of hydrogen under standard conditions.     

Fully Automated Synthesis of Novel TSPO PET Imaging Ligand [18F]Fluoroethyltemazepam

Introduction: Benzodiazepines, including temazepam are described as TSPO antagonists. In fact, TSPO was initially described as a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) with a secondary binding site for diazepam. TSPO is a potential imaging target of neuroinflammation because there is an amplification of the expression of this receptor. Objectives: Herein, we developed a novel fluorinated benzodiazepine ligand, [¹⁸F]Fluoroethyltemazepam ([¹⁸F]F-FETEM), for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of translocator protein (18 kDa). Methods: [¹⁸F]F-FETEM was radiolabelled with an automated synthesizer via a one-pot procedure. We conducted a [¹⁸F]F-aliphatic nucleophilic substitution of a tosylated precursor followed by purification on C18 and Alumina N SPE cartridges. Quality control tests was also carried out. Results: We obtained 2.0–3.0% decay-uncorrected radiochemical activity yield (3.7% decay-corrected) within the whole synthesis time about 33 min. The radiochemical purity of [¹⁸F]F-FETEM was over 90% by TLC analysis. Conclusions: This automated procedure may be used as basis for future production of [¹⁸F]F-FETEM for preclinical PET imaging studies.     

Near-infrared BODIPY dyes modulated with spirofluorene moieties

New structurally constrained BODIPY dyes having electron-donating substituents were synthesized. As the key compounds for the construction of the BODIPY dyes, 1′H-spiro-[fluorene-9,4′-indeno[1,2-b]pyrrole] (sp-FIP) derivatives with electron-donating groups, such as OMe and NMe₂ at its 6′-position, were prepared using palladium-catalyzed intramolecular direct C-H arylation of a pyrrole moiety. The resulting BODIPY dyes showed bathochromic shift in absorption and fluorescence spectra in comparison to the unsubstituted analogs. Furthermore, pH-dependent reversible spectrum changes of the BODIPY dye were observed with the addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and subsequent addition of i-Pr₂NEt.     

Comparison of [18F]F-CNBI and [18F]F-CNPIFE as Positron Emission Tomography Probes for Noninvasive Imaging of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 in Normal Mice

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 α/β is involved in dysregulation of neuronal tau protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is an unmet clinical need for a blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeable positron emission tomography (PET) probe for imaging of GSK-3α/β in the brain to understand the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, we synthesized two PET probes, [¹⁸F]F-CNBI and [¹⁸F]F-CNPIFE, and evaluated their BBB permeability and affinity towards GSK-3α/β. [¹⁹F]F-CNPIFE showed higher in-vitro binding towards GSK-3α/β (IC₅₀=19.4±2.5 nM; n=3, for GSK-3α, IC₅₀=19.4±3.8 nM; n=3, for GSK-3β) compared to [¹⁹F]F-CNBI (IC₅₀=107.6±26.0 nM; n=4, for GSK-3α, IC₅₀=105.3±18.2 nM; n=3, for GSK-3β). [¹⁸F]F-CNPIFE showed 9.5-fold higher brain uptake than [¹⁸F]F-CNBI, in normal FVB/NJ mice, which was increased by additional 1.5-fold on co-administration of [¹⁹F]F-CNPIFE with respect to [¹⁸F]F-CNBI. Overall, [¹⁸F]F-CNPIFE is a promising PET probe for GSK-3α/β imaging and warrants further evaluation in an AD mouse model.     

A General Copper‐Mediated Nucleophilic 18F Fluorination of Arenes

Molecules labeled with fluorine‐18 are used as radiotracers for positron emission tomography. An important challenge is the labeling of arenes not amenable to aromatic nucleophilic substitution (S_NAr) with [¹⁸F]F^?. In the ideal case, the ¹⁸F fluorination of these substrates would be performed through reaction of [¹⁸F]KF with shelf‐stable readily available precursors using a broadly applicable method suitable for automation. Herein, we describe the realization of these requirements with the production of ¹⁸F arenes from pinacol‐derived aryl boronic esters (arylBPin) upon treatment with [¹⁸F]KF/K₂₂₂ and [Cu(OTf)₂(py)₄] (OTf=trifluoromethanesulfonate, py=pyridine). This method tolerates electron‐poor and electron‐rich arenes and various functional groups, and allows access to 6‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐L ‐DOPA, 6‐[¹⁸F]fluoro‐m‐tyrosine, and the translocator protein (TSPO) PET ligand [¹⁸F]DAA1106.     

In vivo biodistribution of pancreatic-derived factor using 18F-labeled PANDER PET imaging

The purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo biodistribution and potential target tissues of pancreatic-derived factor (PANDER, FAM3B) using ¹⁸F-labeled PANDER positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. ¹⁸F-Labeled PANDER ([¹⁸F]FB-PANDER) was prepared by reaction of PANDER and N-succinimidyl-4-[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoate ([¹⁸F]SFB). The uncorrected radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]FB-PANDER was 15.2 ± 3.4 % (n = 4) based on [¹⁸F]SFB within the total synthesis time of 30 min. In vivo biodistribution of [¹⁸F]FB-PANDER in nomal mice and PET imaging demonstrated high uptake of the radiotracer in urinary bladder, kidneys and gall bladder, and fast clearance from kidneys and gall bladder. Also, moderate uptake in blood, liver, pancreas, small intestine and bone, low uptake in brain and muscle, and almost no uptake in S180 fibrosarcoma tissue were observed. The results indicated that the major excretion route of PANDER was through renal-urinary bladder and biliary system, and no obvious binding targets of PANDER in the main organs and S180 fibrosarcoma tissue were found.     

Site‐Selective,Late‐Stage C−H 18F‐Fluorination on Unprotected Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Peptides are often ideal ligands for diagnostic molecular imaging due to their ease of synthesis and tuneable targeting properties. However, labelling unmodified peptides with ¹⁸F for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging presents a number of challenges. Here we show the combination of photoactivated sodium decatungstate and [¹⁸F]‐N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide effects site‐selective ¹⁸F‐fluorination at the branched position in leucine residues in unprotected and unaltered peptides. This streamlined process provides a means to directly convert native peptides into PET imaging agents under mild aqueous conditions, enabling rapid discovery and development of peptide‐based molecular imaging tools.     

Site‐Selective,Late‐Stage C−H 18F‐Fluorination on Unprotected Peptides for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Peptides are often ideal ligands for diagnostic molecular imaging due to their ease of synthesis and tuneable targeting properties. However, labelling unmodified peptides with ¹⁸F for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging presents a number of challenges. Here we show the combination of photoactivated sodium decatungstate and [¹⁸F]‐N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide effects site‐selective ¹⁸F‐fluorination at the branched position in leucine residues in unprotected and unaltered peptides. This streamlined process provides a means to directly convert native peptides into PET imaging agents under mild aqueous conditions, enabling rapid discovery and development of peptide‐based molecular imaging tools.     

An Improved Synthesis of N-(4-[18F]Fluorobenzoyl)-Interleukin-2 for the Preclinical PET Imaging of Tumour-Infiltrating T-cells in CT26 and MC38 Colon Cancer Models

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of activated T-cells with N-(4-[¹⁸F]fluorobenzoyl)-interleukin-2 ([¹⁸F]FB-IL-2) may be a promising tool for patient management to aid in the assessment of clinical responses to immune therapeutics. Unfortunately, existing radiosynthetic methods are very low yielding due to complex and time-consuming chemical processes. Herein, we report an improved method for the synthesis of [¹⁸F]FB-IL-2, which reduces synthesis time and improves radiochemical yield. With this optimized approach, [¹⁸F]FB-IL-2 was prepared with a non-decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 3.8 ± 0.7% from [¹⁸F]fluoride, 3.8 times higher than previously reported methods. In vitro experiments showed that the radiotracer was stable with good radiochemical purity (>95%), confirmed its identity and showed preferential binding to activated mouse peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Dynamic PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution studies in naïve Balb/c mice showed organ distribution and kinetics comparable to earlier published data on [¹⁸F]FB-IL-2. Significant improvements in the radiochemical manufacture of [¹⁸F]FB-IL-2 facilitates access to this promising PET imaging radiopharmaceutical, which may, in turn, provide useful insights into different tumour phenotypes and a greater understanding of the cellular nature and differential immune microenvironments that are critical to understand and develop new treatments for cancers.     

Azeotropic drying-free aliphatic radiofluorination to produce PET radiotracers in a mixed organic solvent system

Efficient aliphatic radiofluorination in a mixed organic solvent system was investigated. This method obviates the time-consuming [¹⁸F]fluoride drying step routinely required in the preparation of most fluorine-18 positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers. The [¹⁸F]fluoride ions eluted from a QMA (quaternary ammonium anion exchange) cartridge with phase transfer agents were directly mixed in various organic solvents for subsequent radiofluorination. Herein, we report the azeotropic drying-free radiofluorination of aliphatic substrates and demonstrate the viability of hydrated [¹⁸F]fluoride ions in a mixed organic solvent system for obtaining useful radiochemical yields (RCYs). This practical and simple method has demonstrated general applicability to the production of established PET tracers as well as to the rapid assessment and chemical optimization of early-stage potential radiotracers.     

Efficient Intramolecular Energy Transfer between Two Fluorophores in a Bis‐Branched [3]Rotaxane

A bis‐branched [3]rotaxane, with two [2]rotaxane arms separated by an oligo(para‐phenylenevinylene) (OPV) fluorophore, was designed and investigated. Each [2]rotaxane arm employed a difluoroboradiaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY) dye‐functionalized dibenzo[24]crown‐8 macrocycle interlocked onto a dibenzylammonium in the rod part. The chemical structure of the [3]rotaxane was confirmed and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and high‐resolution ESI mass spectrometry. The photophysical properties of [3]rotaxane and its reference systems were investigated through UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence, and time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. An efficient energy‐transfer process in [3]rotaxane occurred from the OPV donor to the BODIPY acceptor because of the large overlap between the absorption spectrum of the BODIPY moiety and the emission spectrum of the OPV fluorophore; this shows the important potential of this system for designing functional molecular systems.     

A one-step fully automated radio-synthesis of a dopamine transporter PET imaging agent 18F-FECNT and its in vivo evaluations

2β-Carbomethoxy-3β-(4-chlorophenyl)-8-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl)nortropane ([¹⁸F]-FECNT) is a potential dopamine transporter PET imaging agent. However, its current radio-synthesis is tedious and time consuming. In this article, we reported a fully automatic method for the synthesis of [¹⁸F] FECNT through only one step, using a TRACERlab FX_N module, with decay corrected radiochemical yield of 25 ± 5 % (n = 5). The total synthesis time was 50–55 min. The synthesized [¹⁸F]FECNT was evaluated in vivo in Parkinson’s disease model rats.     

Synthesis of Small‐Molecule Fluorescent Probes for the In Vitro Imaging of Calcium‐Activated Potassium Channel KCa3.1

Small‐molecule probes for the in vitro imaging of K_Ca3.1 channel‐expressing cells were developed. Senicapoc, showing high affinity and selectivity for the K_Ca3.1 channels, was chosen as the targeting component. BODIPY dyes 15 – 20 were synthesized and connected by a Cu^I‐catalyzed azide–alkyne [3+2]cycloaddition with propargyl ether senicapoc derivative 8 , yielding fluorescently labeled ligands 21 – 26 . The dimethylpyrrole‐based imaging probes 25 and 26 allow staining of K_Ca3.1 channels in NSCLC cells. The specificity was shown by removing the punctate staining pattern by pre‐incubation with senicapoc. The density of K_Ca3.1 channels detected with 25 and by immunostaining was identical. The punctate structure of the labeled channels could also be observed in living cells. Molecular modeling showed binding of the senicapoc‐targeting component towards the binding site within the ion channel and orientation of the linker with the dye along the inner surface of the ion channel.     

[89Zr]-Pertuzumab PET Imaging Reveals Paclitaxel Treatment Efficacy Is Positively Correlated with HER2 Expression in Human Breast Cancer Xenograft Mouse Models

Paclitaxel (PTX) treatment efficacy varies in breast cancer, yet the underlying mechanism for variable response remains unclear. This study evaluates whether human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression level utilizing advanced molecular positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is correlated with PTX treatment efficacy in preclinical mouse models of HER2+ breast cancer. HER2 positive (BT474, MDA-MB-361), or HER2 negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells were subcutaneously injected into athymic nude mice and PTX (15 mg/kg) was administrated. In vivo HER2 expression was quantified through [⁸⁹Zr]-pertuzumab PET/CT imaging. PTX treatment response was quantified by [¹⁸F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]-FDG) PET/CT imaging. Spearman’s correlation, Kendall’s tau, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. [⁸⁹Zr]-pertuzumab mean standard uptake values (SUV_mean) of BT474 tumors were 4.9 ± 1.5, MDA-MB-361 tumors were 1.4 ± 0.2, and MDA-MB-231 (HER2−) tumors were 1.1 ± 0.4. [¹⁸F]-FDG SUV_mean changes were negatively correlated with [⁸⁹Zr]-pertuzumab SUV_mean (r = −0.5887, p = 0.0030). The baseline [¹⁸F]-FDG SUV_mean was negatively correlated with initial [⁸⁹Zr]-pertuzumab SUV_mean (r = −0.6852, p = 0.0002). This study shows PTX treatment efficacy is positively correlated with HER2 expression level in human breast cancer mouse models. Molecular imaging provides a non-invasive approach to quantify biological interactions, which will help in identifying chemotherapy responders and potentially enhance clinical decision-making.     

In Vivo Imaging of the Tumor‐Associated Enzyme NCEH1 with a Covalent PET Probe

Herein, we report the development of an ¹⁸F‐labeled, activity‐based small‐molecule probe targeting the cancer‐associated serine hydrolase NCEH1. We undertook a focused medicinal chemistry campaign to simultaneously preserve potent and specific NCEH1 labeling in live cells and animals, while permitting facile ¹⁸F radionuclide incorporation required for PET imaging. The resulting molecule, [¹⁸F]JW199, labels active NCEH1 in live cells at nanomolar concentrations and greater than 1000‐fold selectivity relative to other serine hydrolases. [¹⁸F]JW199 displays rapid, NCEH1‐dependent accumulation in mouse tissues. Finally, we demonstrate that [¹⁸F]JW199 labels aggressive cancer tumor cells in vivo, which uncovered localized NCEH1 activity at the leading edge of triple‐negative breast cancer tumors, suggesting roles for NCEH1 in tumor aggressiveness and metastasis.     

DMAP‐BODIPY Alkynes: A Convenient Tool for Labeling Biomolecules for Bimodal PET–Optical Imaging

Several new boron dipyrromethene/N,N‐dimethylaminopyridine (BODIPY‐DMAP) assemblies were synthesized as precursors for bimodal imaging probes (optical imaging, OI/positron emission tomography, PET). The photophysical properties of the new compounds were also studied. The first proof‐of‐concept was obtained with the preparation of several new BODIPY‐labeled bombesins and evaluation of the affinity for bombesin receptors by using a competition binding assay. Fluorination reactions were investigated on DMAP‐BODIPY precursors as well as on DMAP‐BODIPY‐labeled bombesins. Chemical modifications on the BODIPY core were also performed to obtain luminescent dyes emitting in the therapeutic window (650–900 nm), suitable for in vivo imaging, making these compounds promising precursors for PET/optical dual‐modality imaging agents.