Synthesis and labeling of 5'-O-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl)-2,3'-anhydr othymidine for [18F]FLT preparation

For in vivo measurement of DNA synthesis in the patient"s tumour 3"-[¹⁸F]fluoro-3"-deoxythymidine (FLT) has been shown to be very promising. As a new labeling precursor 5"-O-(4,4"-dimethoxytrityl)-2,3"-anhydrothymidine (DMTThy) was chosen and an organic synthesis was developed including NMR and MS data for characterisation. The ¹⁸F-labeling of DMTThy can be performed within 30 minutes in radiochemical yields of almost 20% when using polar solvents such as DMF or DMSO and a temperature of 160 °C. Hydrolysis is completed with 1N HCl at 50 °C within 10 minutes without losses.     

Synthesis of 15-(4-[11C]methylphenyl)pentadecanoic acid (MePPA) via Stille cross-coupling reaction

For experimental studies by animal PET [¹¹C]-labeled 15-(4-methylphenyl)pentadecanoic acid (MePPA) is an attractive alternative to the radioiodinated 15-(4-iodophenyl)pentadecanoic acid (IPPA) which has widely been used for imaging of fatty acid metabolism. The important physiological aspect is that the iodine atom and the methyl substituent have similar steric and lipophilic properties. For preparation of [¹¹C]MePPA, Stille cross-coupling reaction was applied since the same tin precursor as for the radiosynthesis of IPPA and readily available [¹¹C]CH₃I can be used. Unsaturated tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0)/tri(o-tolyl)phosphine [Pd₂(dba)₃/P(o-tolyl)₃] was taken as the catalytic system. The reaction conditions were optimized with respect to temperature, time, solvent and amount of precursor. The best radiochemical yields of 73 ± 2.8% (decay corr.) were obtained using 0.525 mg tin precursor in DMF at 80 °C already after a reaction time of 10 min. The labeled methyl ester was hydrolyzed by 1 M NaOH/EtOH at 80 °C within 3 min to give [¹¹C]IPPA in a RCY of 62 ± 3.0%. The radiochemical purity of the product assured by HPLC was >99% and the overall preparation time including HPLC purification and formulation was 40 min.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1-(4-(4-(4-[18F]fluorobenzyl)-1-piperazinyl)butyl)indolin-2-one as dopamine D4 receptor ligand

A potential dopamine D₄ receptor ligand, 1-(4-(4-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1-piperazinyl)butyl)indolin-2-one (4) was synthesized through a four-step process and its affinity and selectivity for dopamine D₂-like receptors was determined through in vitro receptor binding assay. [¹⁸F]4 was prepared using a one-pot two-step method with total radiochemical yield 21.2 % (decay-corrected). The molar radioactivity was around 135 GBq/μmol and the radiochemical purity was greater than 95.5 %. The partition coefficient (Log P) of [¹⁸F]4 was determined to be 2.10 ± 0.30 through octanol experiment. The in vivo biodistribution and the competitive distribution of [¹⁸F]4 in rat exposed that the tracer passes through blood–brain-barrier (BBB) and may specifically bind to D₄ receptor. Metabolite analysis revealed that there was no metabolism of [¹⁸F]4 in brain. Conclusively, these preliminary results demonstrated that [¹⁸F]4 shows promises as a radioligand for the in vivo study of dopamine D₄ receptor.     

Radiosynthesis of 10-(2-[18F]fluoroethoxy)-20(S)-camptothecin as a potential positron emission tomography tracer for the imaging of topoisomerase I in cancers

The preparation of 10-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethoxy)-20(S)-camptothecin, a potential positron emission tomography tracer for the imaging of topoisomerase I in cancers, is described. 10-(2-[¹⁸F]Fluoroethoxy)-20(S)-camptothecin was synthesized by the [¹⁸F]fluoroalkylation of the corresponding hydroxy precursor molecule with 2-[¹⁸F]fluoroethyl bromide ([¹⁸F]FEtBr) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at 55 °C for 20 min; this was followed by purification using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a total preparation time of 60 min. The overall radiochemical yield was approximately 5.4–12 % (uncorrected), and the radiochemical purity was above 96 %.     

Enantioselective synthesis of no-carrier added (NCA) 6-[18F]Fluoro-L-Dopa

6-[¹⁸F]Fluoro-L-Dopa (6-FDOPA) is the analogue of L-Dopa, the biosynthesis precursor for dopamine. As a PET tracer, it was widely applied for the presynaptic dopamine function studies in human brain. The application of a chiral phase-transfer-catalyst (PTC) in enantioselective synthesis of N.C.A. 6-[¹⁸F]Fluoro-L-Dopa has been developed recently. An improved procedure was described in this study. The labeling precursor (6-Trimethylammoniumveratraldehyde Triflate) and PTC (O-Allyl-N-(9)-anthracenylcinchonidinium Bromide) were synthesized. A successful synthesis route was developed for the preparation of 6-[¹⁸F]Fluoro-L-Dopa with high radiochemical yields (4-9%, decay uncorrected) and short synthesis time(80min). The radiochemical purity was over 99% and no D-isomer was detected by HPLC analysis using a chiral mobile phase.     

Rapid in situ synthesis of [C]methyl azide and its application in C click-chemistry

We synthesized [¹¹C]methyl azide ([¹¹C]MeA) by reacting [¹¹C]methyl iodide ([¹¹C]MeI) in situ with an azide-donor and used it in the synthesis of ¹¹C-labeled 1,2,3-triazoles. A one-pot click approach comprised the infusion of gaseous [¹¹C]MeI into a mixture of NaN₃, ethynylbenzene, and CuI in water at a temperature of 100 °C yielding the ¹¹C-triazole in radiochemical yields (RCY) of 25%. In a two-step labeling protocol, we synthesized the [¹¹C]MeA in acetonitrile in advance to the click step. Using the more soluble complex as source of , a much higher trapping efficiency of [¹¹C]MeI in this solvent ensured an almost quantitative conversion of [¹¹C]MeI to [¹¹C]MeA within 5-10 min at room temperature. The [¹¹C]MeA was thereafter reacted with ethynylbenzene at 100 °C yielding 1-[¹¹C]methyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole in preparative RCY of 60%. As a final proof of applicability, we used ¹¹C-click-chemistry for the labeling of N-terminal 4-ethynylbenzene derivatized d-Glu-d-Tyr-[Cys-Tyr-Trp-Lys-Thr-Cys]-Thr, a cyclic water-soluble Tyr³-octreotate derivative.     

Radioiodination of 4-benzyl-1-(3-iodobenzylsulfonyl)piperidine, 4-(3-iodobenzyl)-1-(benzylsulfonyl)piperazine and their derivatives via isotopic and non-isotopic exchange reactions

A mild and simple technique for preparing of 4-benzyl-1-(3-[¹²⁵I]iodobenzylsulfonyl)piperidine, 4-(3-[¹²⁵I]iodobenzyl)-1-(benzylsulfonyl)piperazine and their derivatives, as sigma-1 receptor ligands, with relatively high radiochemical yields via nucleophilic substitution reaction by means of isotopic and non-isotopic exchange reactions is described. Some factors affecting the radiochemical yield were commonly studied in presence of acidic medium at elevated temperature. Unfortunately, the radiochemical yields were weak. Some attempts were carried out in presence of polar aprotic solvents to enhance the radiochemical yield. N,N-Dimethylformamide was proved highly efficient for preparing of radioiodinated 4-benzyl-1-(3-iodobenzylsulfonyl)piperidine (4-B-[¹²⁵I]-IBSP, 70 ± 5.7 %) and 4-(3-iodobenzyl)-1-(benzylsulfonyl)piperazine (4-[¹²⁵I]-IBBSPz, 72 ± 6.0 %) at moderate temperature (100–105 °C) within 8 h. The specific activities of 4-B-[¹²⁵I]-IBSP and 4-[¹²⁵I]-IBBSPz (6,534.2 and 5,927.4 MBq/mmol) were obtained respectively.     

A novel strategy for the preparation of the injectable PET/CT radiopharmaceutical (-)-[11C]-(1R,2S)-meta-hydroxyephedrine ((-)-[11C]HED

Positron emission tomography (PET) had been applied in clinical early diagnosis of various tumors and other diseases. The methylated synthetic conditions of (-)-[¹¹C]-(1R,2S)-meta-hydroxyephedrine ((-)-[¹¹C]HED), considered as one of the most important radiopharmaceuticals for PET, were optimized through single factor and orthogonal design methods. Here, we reported an improved purification protocol. The radiochemical yields of the final product were over 45% (decay-corrected and based on [¹¹C]methyl iodide) (n?=?50). The radiochemical purities and chemical purities were over 99% (n?=?50) and 97% (n?=?50), respectively. The automatic radiosynthesis procedure of (-)-[¹¹C]HED with relatively high radiochemical yield was convenient and reliable.

     

Preparation of N-[11C]methyl-2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromo-amphetamine

For in vivo receptor studies N-[¹¹C]methyl-2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromo-amphetamine, [¹¹C]MDOB, was synthesized by the reaction of [¹¹C]CH₃I with DOB in acetonitrile. The labelling yield was determined in dependence on amount of precursor, time and temperature of the methylation reaction. During 10 to 15 minutes 60% to 70% of [¹¹C]MDOB has been obtained at 110°C.     

Facile radiosynthesis of <Superscript>18</Superscript>F-labeled β-glutamic acid as a new PET tracer for imaging lung cancer

In this paper, N-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoropropionyl)-β-glutamic acid 8 ([¹⁸F]FP-β-Glu), a new N-substituted ¹⁸F-labeled amino acid tracer, was synthesized from the precursor 4 (diethyl 3-(2-bromopropanamido)pentanedioate) via a two-step reaction on the modified FDG synthesizer. The radiochemical yield was 20 ± 5% (n = 10, decay-corrected) from [¹⁸F]fluoride within 40 min, the radiochemical purity was 98%. Moreover, microPET studies showed that [¹⁸F]FP-β-Glu 8 exhibited rapid tumor uptake and good tumor-to-lung ratio in SPC-A-1 tumor-bearing mice. A high accumulation of radioactivity was found in the kidneys and bladder, which suggested that the tracer was mainly eliminated through the urinary system.     

Simplified Labeling Approach for Synthesizing 3′-Deoxy-3′-[18F]fluorothymidine ([18F]FLT)

[¹⁸F]FLT (3-deoxy-3-[¹⁸F]fluorothymidine) turned out to be a tracer particularly suitable for PET imaging of tumor proliferation because of lacking degradation in vivo. To facilitate clinical studies with [¹⁸F]FLT, we investigated two new easily accessible precursors, 2,3-anhydrothymidine (AThy) and 5-O-(4,4-dimethoxytriphenylmethyl)-2,3-anhydrothymidine (DMTThy), using a common approach for introducing the label with nucleophilic [¹⁸F]fluoride. Radiochemical yields were determined in dependence on substrate concentration, reaction time and temperature. In the case of AThy (10 mg), best FLT yields were 5.3%±1.2 (130 °C, 30 min). Labeling of DMTThy (10 mg) gave 14.3%±3.3 at 160 °C within 10 minutes. Starting with an aqueous solution of 20 GBq [¹⁸F]fluoride the new method allows to produce 1.3 GBq [¹⁸F]FLT within 90 minutes ready for intravenous injection. The new labeling procedures allow [¹⁸F]FLT synthesis without lengthy preparation of the precursor and with high reproducibility mandatory for clinical application.     

Synthesis of [carbonyl-C]acetophenone via the Stille cross-coupling reaction of [1-C]acetyl chloride with tributylphenylstannane mediated by Pd2(dba)3/P(MeNCH2CH2)3N·HCl

The Stille cross-coupling reaction of [1-¹¹C]acetyl chloride with tributylphenylstannane leading to [carbonyl-¹¹C]acetophenone was studied with the goal of developing a new ¹¹C-labeling method for positron emission tomography tracer synthesis. The coupled product [carbonyl-¹¹C]acetophenone was synthesized using the Pd₂(dba)₃/P(MeNCH₂CH₂)₃N·HCl system with a 60-61% radiochemical conversion from [1-¹¹C]acetyl chloride (decay-corrected, n = 3).     

Synthesis of 6-[18F]fluoroveratraldehyde by nucleophilic halogen exchange at electron-rich precursors

Summary Fluorodehalogenation reactions were used to prepare 6-[¹⁸F]fluoroveratraldehyde. The synthesis of 6-[¹⁸F]fluoroveratraldehyde is the first step in the multi-step synthesis of the clinically important tracer 6-[¹⁸F]fluoro-L-dopa. In the literature yields ranging from 20-50% are reported when using nitro and trimethylammoniumtriflate precursors. However, no data exist concerning the use of different leaving groups such as halogens. Therefore, 6-bromo, 6-chloro and 6-fluoroveratraldehyde were tested in the nucleophilic aromatic substitution by [¹⁸F]fluoride. In DMF, 6-[¹⁸F]fluoroveratraldehyde was obtained with radiochemical yields of (57±1.0)% and (66±3.6)% in 20 minutes at 160 °C using 50 mg/ml bromo and chloro precursor, respectively. The fluoro precursor gave a radiochemical yield of (87±0.8)% at 140 °C. Temperature, solvent and concentration strongly affected the ¹⁸F-labeling. Among the halogens the ability as a leaving group was F>>Cl>Br. The halogenated veratraldehydes provide a good alternative for the synthesis of ca and nca 6-[¹⁸F]fluoroveratraldehyde, as the first step of the synthesis for [¹⁸F]FDOPA since they are inexpensive, commercially available, stable, sustain hard conditions in the labeling step, and give yields better or equal to other precursors previously reported.     

A new technique for labeling of [11C]-choline, a positron-emitting tracer for tumor imaging

Summary [¹¹C]-choline has been reported as a potential tracer for imaging a variety of human tumors with positron emission tomography (PET). A new labeling technique for [¹¹C]-choline was established depending on parameters optimized, such as reaction time, volume, temperature, and the quantity of DMAE.The synthesis yield was improved from 82.0% to 96.5% (EOB), while the consumption of DMAE precursor decreased from 60 to 2 mg. Absolute yield of [¹¹C]-choline was 2500 MBq for a 10-minute irradiation at15mA, and a total synthesis time of less than 8 minutes from [¹¹C]-CH₃I to [¹¹C]-choline.     

Radiolabelling optimisation of 7-bromo-5-[123I]-iodo-4-oxo-1,4-dihidroquinoline-2-carboxylic acid: a potential tracer for NMDA SPECT studies

The synthesis of 7-bromo-5-[¹²³I]-iodokynurenic acid is described. The tracer was prepared using a nucleophilic non-isotopic exchange reaction from the corresponding bromo derivative. Optimisation of the reaction parameters and HPLC purification were performed and the radiotracer was obtained in a chemical and radiochemical purity >95% and a specific activity of 235 Ci/mol.     

Preparation of [18F]fluoromisonidazole by nucleophilic substitution on THP-protected precursor: Yield dependence on reaction parameters

The dependence of the radiochemical yield of [¹⁸F]fluoromisonidazole (1) on different reaction parameters such as reaction time, temperature and amount of precursor was investigated for the nucleophilic substitution of tosylate by [¹⁸F]fluoride and subsequent hydrolysis of the protecting group on 1-(2′-nitro-1′-imidazolyl)-2-O-tetrahydropyranyl-3-O-toluenesulfonylpropanediol as the precursor molecule (2). Highest yields (86%±6%) were obtained using 10 mg (2) at 100°C for 10 minutes, whereas both at 80 and 120°C the yields were lower (46%±11% and 29%±14%, respectively). A rapid decrease of the yield was observed when the reaction time exceeded 15 minutes, i.e., at 100°C using 5 mg (2) the radiochemical yield decreased from 61%±8% at 15 minutes to 18%±10% at 60 minutes.     

Synthesis and evaluation of N-(2-[18F]fluoro-4-nitrobenzoyl)glucosamine: a preliminary report

d-glucosamine at concentration of certain range could kill tumor cells without influencing normal cells. There are also some reports on the antitumor activity of d-glucosamine and its derivatives in murine models. It was therefore postulated that d-glucosamine might have the potential to invade tumor cells. We designed and radiosynthesized a glucosamine derivative, N-(2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-4-nitrobenzoyl)glucosamine ([¹⁸F]FNBG([¹⁸F]7)). Evaluations in vitro and in vivo were performed on tumor bearing mice. Excitingly, the radiochemical purity of [¹⁸F]FNBG([¹⁸F]7) was 99%, and besides the best radiochemical yield was up to 35%. The best T/Bl (Tumor/Blood) and T/M (Tumor/Muscle) ratios of [¹⁸F]FNBG([¹⁸F]7) were 4.40 and 4.84. Although [¹⁸F]FNBG([¹⁸F]7) deserved further studies, the results revealed it might become a potential PET imaging agent for detecting tumors.     

N-[11C]methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (Ecstasy) and 2-methyl-N-[11C]methyl-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine: Synthesis and biodistribution studies

In order to evaluate the neurobiological mechanism causing the psychogenic effects of methylenedioxy-derivatives of amphetamine, the carbon-11 labeled analogues of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA),2 and 2,N-dimethyl-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MADAM-6)4 were prepared for application in in-vivo PET studies by methylation of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA)1 and 2-methyl-4,5-methylenedioxyamphetamine3 with [¹¹C]CH₃I. The radiochemical yield was determined in dependence on time, temperature and amount of precursor. The best conditions for a fast labeling reaction with carbon-11 on a preparative scale were found to be a reaction time of 10 min using 1 mg of the corresponding dimethyl-precursors1 or3, thus obtaining radiochemical yields of 60% (based on produced [¹¹C]CH₃I). Biodistribution studies were performed in rats, a high brain to blood ratio of 7.5 was observed for [¹¹C]MDMA in contrast to a ratio of 3.7 for [¹¹C]MADAM-6.     

Synthesis of radioiodinated 4-[*I]iodoantipyrine via isotopic exchange

Radioiodinated 4-[*I]iodoantipyrine labeled with radioiodine (i.e., ¹²³I or ¹²⁵I or ¹³¹I) has been used for modeling radiation damage on cell nuclei of tumor cells where the characteristic high linear energy transfer (high-LET) of the Auger electron could be demonstrated. Also, the compound is currently used for the measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in autoradiography. 4-[¹³¹I]iodoantipyrine was synthesized by two methods via a nucleophilic isotopic exchange reaction between ¹³¹I as iodide ion [¹³¹I^–] and inactive 4-[¹²⁷I]iodoantipyrine: either in absolute ethyl alcohol catalyzed by ammonium acetate or in dry state molten ammonium acetate (m.p. 114 °C) as an isotopic exchange medium without carrier addition. The first one is called wet method: where a solution of 4-iodoantipyrine and ammonium acetate in absolute ethyl alcohol and lyophilized Na¹³¹I was heated briefly up to boiling (80 to 90 °C) for 30 minutes under reflux. The second one is called dry state-molten method: where the alcoholic solution containing 4-iodoantipyrine and ammonium acetate and the lyophilized Na¹³¹I were heated briefly in a nitrogen stream to dryness at 120 to 125 °C for 5 minutes or melted by gradual heating at 150 to 160 °C for 5 minutes. A radiochemical yield ranged between 90%–95% in each method has been obtained for 4-[¹³¹I]iodoantipyrine. In both methods, the reaction proceeds properly without carrier addition by an addition – elimination mechanism. The physico-chemical parameters affecting the radiochemical yield of the isotopic exchange reaction [i.e., reaction time, temperature, exchange medium, concentration of the reactants, carrier (KI) addition and pH] were investigated. Chromatographic analysis i.e., TLC and HPLC were used to determine the radiochemical yield as well as the purity of the final product, which was as pure as 99.9%.