1
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Kosar M, Mach L, Carreira EM, Nazaré M, Pacher P, Grether U. Patent review of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB 2R) modulators (2016-present). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2024. [PMID: 38886185 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2024.2368745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R), predominantly expressed in immune tissues, is believed to play a crucial role within the body's protective mechanisms. Its modulation holds immense therapeutic promise for addressing a wide spectrum of disbiotic conditions, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, liver, kidney, neurodegenerative, psychiatric, bone, skin, and autoimmune diseases, as well as lung disorders, cancer, and pain management. AREAS COVERED This review is an account of patents from 2016 up to 2023 which describes novel CB2R ligands, therapeutic applications, synthesis as well as formulations of CB2R modulators. EXPERT OPINION The patents cover a vast, structurally diverse chemical space. The focus of CB2R ligand development has shifted from unselective dual cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) and 2 agonists toward agonists with high selectivity over CB1R, particularly for indications associated with inflammation and tissue injury. Currently, there are at least eight CB2R agonists and one antagonist in active clinical development. A better understanding of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and in particular of CB2R pharmacology is required to unlock the receptor's full therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Kosar
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Leonard Mach
- Medicinal Chemistry, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erick M Carreira
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marc Nazaré
- Medicinal Chemistry, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pal Pacher
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Uwe Grether
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
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2
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Teodoro R, Gündel D, Deuther-Conrad W, Kazimir A, Toussaint M, Wenzel B, Bormans G, Hey-Hawkins E, Kopka K, Brust P, Moldovan RP. Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationships, Radiofluorination, and Biological Evaluation of [ 18F]RM365, a Novel Radioligand for Imaging the Human Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 (CB2R) in the Brain with PET. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13991-14010. [PMID: 37816245 PMCID: PMC10614203 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The development of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) PET radioligands has been intensively explored due to the pronounced CB2R upregulation under various pathological conditions. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a series of CB2R affine fluorinated indole-2-carboxamide ligands. Compound RM365 was selected for PET radiotracer development due to its high CB2R affinity (Ki = 2.1 nM) and selectivity over CB1R (factor > 300). Preliminary in vitro evaluation of [18F]RM365 indicated species differences in the binding to CB2R (KD of 2.32 nM for the hCB2R vs KD > 10,000 nM for the rCB2R). Metabolism studies in mice revealed a high in vivo stability of [18F]RM365. PET imaging in a rat model of local hCB2R(D80N) overexpression in the brain demonstrates the ability of [18F]RM365 to reach and selectively label the hCB2R(D80N) with a high signal-to-background ratio. Thus, [18F]RM365 is a very promising PET radioligand for the imaging of upregulated hCB2R expression under pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Teodoro
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Gündel
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aleksandr Kazimir
- Faculty
of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Magali Toussaint
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barbara Wenzel
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Guy Bormans
- Radiopharmaceutical
Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evamarie Hey-Hawkins
- Faculty
of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty
of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, TU Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- The
Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Institute
of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Haider A, Wang L, Gobbi L, Li Y, Chaudhary A, Zhou X, Chen J, Zhao C, Rong J, Xiao Z, Hou L, Elghazawy NH, Sippl W, Davenport AT, Daunais JB, Ahmed H, Crowe R, Honer M, Rominger A, Grether U, Liang SH, Ametamey SM. Evaluation of [ 18F]RoSMA-18-d 6 as a CB2 PET Radioligand in Nonhuman Primates. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3752-3760. [PMID: 37788055 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) has been implicated in a variety of central and peripheral inflammatory diseases, prompting significant interest in the development of CB2-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic agents. A validated positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand for imaging CB2 in the living human brain as well as in peripheral tissues is currently lacking. As part of our research program, we have recently identified the trisubstituted pyridine, [18F]RoSMA-18-d6, which proved to be highly suitable for in vitro and in vivo mapping of CB2 in rodents. The aim of this study was to assess the performance characteristics of [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 in nonhuman primates (NHPs) to pave the way for clinical translation. [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 was synthesized from the respective tosylate precursor according to previously reported procedures. In vitro autoradiograms with NHP spleen tissue sections revealed a high binding of [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 to the CB2-rich NHP spleen, which was significantly blocked by coincubation with the commercially available CB2 ligand, GW405833 (10 μM). In contrast, no specific binding was observed by in vitro autoradiography with NHP brain sections, which was in agreement with the notion of a CB2-deficient healthy mammalian brain. In vitro findings were corroborated by PET imaging experiments in NHPs, where [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 uptake in the spleen was dose-dependently attenuated with 1 and 5 mg/kg GW405833, while no specific brain signal was observed. Remarkably, we observed tracer uptake and retention in the NHP spinal cord, which was reduced by GW405833 blockade, pointing toward a potential utility of [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 in probing CB2-expressing cells in the bone marrow. If these observations are substantiated in NHP models of enhanced leukocyte proliferation in the bone marrow, [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 may serve as a valuable marker for hematopoietic activity in various pathologies. In conclusion, [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 proved to be a suitable PET radioligand for imaging CB2 in NHPs, supporting its translation to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Haider
- Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Luca Gobbi
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yinlong Li
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Ahmad Chaudhary
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Chunyu Zhao
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Jian Rong
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Zhiwei Xiao
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Lu Hou
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Nehal H Elghazawy
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, W.-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Sippl
- Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, W.-Langenbeck-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - April T Davenport
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina 27157, United States
| | - James B Daunais
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, North Carolina 27157, United States
| | - Hazem Ahmed
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences ETH, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ron Crowe
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Michael Honer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Axel Rominger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bern University Hospital, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Grether
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steven H Liang
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1364 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Simon M Ametamey
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences ETH, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Kallinen A, Mardon K, Lane S, Montgomery AP, Bhalla R, Stimson DHR, Ahamed M, Cowin GJ, Hibbs D, Werry EL, Fulton R, Connor M, Kassiou M. Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of Fluorinated 5-Azaindoles as CB2 PET Radioligands. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:2902-2921. [PMID: 37499194 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several classes of cannabinoid receptor type 2 radioligands have been evaluated for imaging of neuroinflammation, with successful clinical translation yet to take place. Here we describe the synthesis of fluorinated 5-azaindoles and pharmacological characterization and in vivo evaluation of 18F-radiolabeled analogues. [18F]2 (hCB2 Ki = 96.5 nM) and [18F]9 (hCB2 Ki = 7.7 nM) were prepared using Cu-mediated 18F-fluorination with non-decay-corrected radiochemical yields of 15 ± 6% and 18 ± 2% over 85 and 80 min, respectively, with high radiochemical purities (>97%) and molar activities (140-416 GBq/μmol). In PET imaging studies in rats, both [18F]2 and [18F]9 demonstrated specific binding in CB2-rich spleen after pretreatment with CB2-specific GW405833. Moreover, [18F]9 exhibited higher brain uptake at later time points in a murine model of neuroinflammation compared with a healthy control group. The results suggest further evaluation of azaindole based CB2 radioligands is warranted in other neuroinflammation models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annukka Kallinen
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Karine Mardon
- ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Samuel Lane
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Muneer Ahamed
- ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Gary J Cowin
- ARC Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - David Hibbs
- Sydney Pharmacy School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Eryn L Werry
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Roger Fulton
- Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Mark Connor
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Michael Kassiou
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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5
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Ueberham L, Gündel D, Kellert M, Deuther-Conrad W, Ludwig FA, Lönnecke P, Kazimir A, Kopka K, Brust P, Moldovan RP, Hey-Hawkins E. Development of the High-Affinity Carborane-Based Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 PET Ligand [ 18F]LUZ5- d8. J Med Chem 2023; 66:5242-5260. [PMID: 36944112 PMCID: PMC10782483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The development of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) radioligands for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was intensively explored. To overcome the low metabolic stability and simultaneously increase the binding affinity of known CB2R radioligands, a carborane moiety was used as a bioisostere. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of carborane-based 1,8-naphthyridinones and thiazoles as novel CB2R ligands. All tested compounds showed low nanomolar CB2R affinity, with (Z)-N-[3-(4-fluorobutyl)-4,5-dimethylthiazole-2(3H)-ylidene]-(1,7-dicarba-closo-dodecaboranyl)-carboxamide (LUZ5) exhibiting the highest affinity (0.8 nM). Compound [18F]LUZ5-d8 was obtained with an automated radiosynthesizer in high radiochemical yield and purity. In vivo evaluation revealed the improved metabolic stability of [18F]LUZ5-d8 compared to that of [18F]JHU94620. PET experiments in rats revealed high uptake in spleen and low uptake in brain. Thus, the introduction of a carborane moiety is an appropriate tool for modifying literature-known CB2R ligands and gaining access to a new class of high-affinity CB2R ligands, while the in vivo pharmacology still needs to be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Ueberham
- Universität
Leipzig, Faculty of Chemistry
and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Gündel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Kellert
- Universität
Leipzig, Faculty of Chemistry
and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Friedrich-Alexander Ludwig
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter Lönnecke
- Universität
Leipzig, Faculty of Chemistry
and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aleksandr Kazimir
- Universität
Leipzig, Faculty of Chemistry
and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty
of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, TU Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- The
Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals,
Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Evamarie Hey-Hawkins
- Universität
Leipzig, Faculty of Chemistry
and Mineralogy, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Johannisallee 29, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Biological aspects of nitrogen heterocycles for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 107:43-56. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12317-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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7
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Nakagawa K, Watanabe H, Kaide S, Ono M. Structure-Activity Relationships of Styrylquinoline and Styrylquinoxaline Derivatives as α-Synuclein Imaging Probes. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1598-1605. [PMID: 36262393 PMCID: PMC9575165 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Synucleinopathies are characterized by the deposition of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates before the onset of clinical symptoms. Therefore, in vivo imaging of α-syn may contribute to early diagnosis of these diseases and has attracted much attention in recent years. However, no clinically useful probes have been reported. In the present study, 16 quinoline/quinoxaline derivatives with different styryl and fluorine groups were evaluated in order to develop α-syn imaging probes. Among them, SQ3, which is a quinoline analogue with a p-(dimethylamino)styryl group and fluoroethoxy group at the 2- and 7- positions of the skeleton, displayed moderate selectivity for α-syn aggregates over β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregates (K i = 230 nM), while maintaining high binding affinity for α-syn aggregates (K i = 39.3 nM). In a biodistribution study, [18F]SQ3 exhibited high uptake (2.08% ID/g at 2 min after intravenous injection) into a normal mouse brain. Taken together, we demonstrate that [18F]SQ3 has basic properties as a lead compound for the development of a useful α-syn imaging probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Nakagawa
- Department of Patho-Functional
Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Department of Patho-Functional
Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Sho Kaide
- Department of Patho-Functional
Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ono
- Department of Patho-Functional
Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, 46-29 Yoshida Shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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8
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Kecheliev V, Spinelli F, Herde A, Haider A, Mu L, Klohs J, Ametamey SM, Ni R. Evaluation of cannabinoid type 2 receptor expression and pyridine-based radiotracers in brains from a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1018610. [PMID: 36248003 PMCID: PMC9561934 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1018610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease. The cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) is an emerging target for neuroinflammation and therapeutics of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we aim to assess the alterations in brain CB2R levels and evaluate novel CB2R imaging tracers in the arcAß mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical staining for amyloid-ß deposits (6E10), microgliosis (anti-Iba1 and anti-CD68 antibodies), astrocytes (GFAP) and the anti-CB2R antibody was performed on brain slices from 17-month-old arcAß mice. Autoradiography using the CB2R imaging probes [18F]RoSMA-18-d6, [11C]RSR-056, and [11C]RS-028 and mRNA analysis were performed in brain tissue from arcAß and non-transgenic littermate (NTL) mice at 6, 17, and 24 months of age. Specific increased CB2R immunofluorescence intensities on the increased number of GFAP-positive astrocytes and Iba1-positive microglia were detected in the hippocampus and cortex of 17-month-old arcAß mice compared to NTL mice. CB2R immunofluorescence was higher in glial cells inside 6E10-positive amyloid-ß deposits than peri-plaque glial cells, which showed low background immunofluorescence in the hippocampus and cortex of 17-month-old arcAß mice. Ex vivo autoradiography showed that the specific binding of [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 and [11C]RSR-056 was comparable in arcAß and NTL mice at 6, 17, and 24 months of age. The level of Cnr2 mRNA expression in the brain was not significantly different between arcAß and NTL mice at 6, 17, or 24 months of age. In conclusion, we demonstrated pronounced specific increases in microglial and astroglial CB2R expression levels in a mouse model of AD-related cerebral amyloidosis, emphasizing CB2R as a suitable target for imaging neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasil Kecheliev
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Spinelli
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adrienne Herde
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ahmed Haider
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linjing Mu
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Klohs
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon M. Ametamey
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Simon M. Ametamey,
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Ruiqing Ni,
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9
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Gündel D, Deuther-Conrad W, Ueberham L, Kaur S, Otikova E, Teodoro R, Toussaint M, Lai TH, Clauß O, Scheunemann M, Bormans G, Bachmann M, Kopka K, Brust P, Moldovan RP. Structure-Based Design, Optimization, and Development of [ 18F]LU13: A Novel Radioligand for Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 Imaging in the Brain with PET. J Med Chem 2022; 65:9034-9049. [PMID: 35771668 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) is an attractive target for the diagnosis and therapy of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. In this study, we aimed at the development of a novel 18F-labeled radioligand starting from the structure of the known naphthyrid-2-one CB2R ligands. Compound 28 (LU13) was identified with the highest binding affinity and selectivity versus CB1R (CB2RKi = 0.6 nM; CB1RKi/CB2RKi > 1000) and was selected for radiolabeling with fluorine-18 and biological characterization. The new radioligand [18F]LU13 showed high CB2R affinity in vitro as well as high metabolic stability in vivo. PET imaging with [18F]LU13 in a rat model of vector-based/-related hCB2R overexpression in the striatum revealed a high signal-to-background ratio. Thus, [18F]LU13 is a novel and highly promising PET radioligand for the imaging of upregulated CB2R expression under pathological conditions in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gündel
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lea Ueberham
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarandeep Kaur
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elina Otikova
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Teodoro
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Magali Toussaint
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thu Hang Lai
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Research and Development, ROTOP Pharmaka GmbH, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Clauß
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Scheunemann
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Guy Bormans
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael Bachmann
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, TU Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.,The Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of SMYD3 inhibitors possessing N-thiazole benzenesulfonamide moiety as potential anti-cancer agents. JOURNAL OF SAUDI CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jscs.2022.101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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11
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Modemann DJ, Maharadhika A, Yamoune S, Kreyenschmidt AK, Maaß F, Kremers S, Breunig C, Sahlmann CO, Bucerius JA, Stalke D, Wiltfang J, Bouter Y, Müller CE, Bouter C, Meller B. Development of high-affinity fluorinated ligands for cannabinoid subtype 2 receptor, and in vitro evaluation of a radioactive tracer for imaging. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 232:114138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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12
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Chen Z, Haider A, Chen J, Xiao Z, Gobbi L, Honer M, Grether U, Arnold SE, Josephson L, Liang SH. The Repertoire of Small-Molecule PET Probes for Neuroinflammation Imaging: Challenges and Opportunities beyond TSPO. J Med Chem 2021; 64:17656-17689. [PMID: 34905377 PMCID: PMC9094091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is an adaptive response of the central nervous system to diverse potentially injurious stimuli, which is closely associated with neurodegeneration and typically characterized by activation of microglia and astrocytes. As a noninvasive and translational molecular imaging tool, positron emission tomography (PET) could provide a better understanding of neuroinflammation and its role in neurodegenerative diseases. Ligands to translator protein (TSPO), a putative marker of neuroinflammation, have been the most commonly studied in this context, but they suffer from serious limitations. Herein we present a repertoire of different structural chemotypes and novel PET ligand design for classical and emerging neuroinflammatory targets beyond TSPO. We believe that this Perspective will support multidisciplinary collaborations in academic and industrial institutions working on neuroinflammation and facilitate the progress of neuroinflammation PET probe development for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
| | - Ahmed Haider
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
| | - Zhiwei Xiao
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
| | - Luca Gobbi
- Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Honer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Grether
- Pharma Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Steven E. Arnold
- Department of Neurology and the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Lee Josephson
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
| | - Steven H. Liang
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, United States
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13
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Ney LJ, Crombie KM, Mayo LM, Felmingham KL, Bowser T, Matthews A. Translation of animal endocannabinoid models of PTSD mechanisms to humans: Where to next? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:76-91. [PMID: 34838529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system is known to be involved in mechanisms relevant to PTSD aetiology and maintenance, though this understanding is mostly based on animal models of the disorder. Here we review how human paradigms can successfully translate animal findings to human subjects, with the view that substantially increased insight into the effect of endocannabinoid signalling on stress responding, emotional and intrusive memories, and fear extinction can be gained using modern paradigms and methods for assessing the state of the endocannabinoid system in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Ney
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
| | - Kevin M Crombie
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Leah M Mayo
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Linköping University, Sweden
| | - Kim L Felmingham
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Allison Matthews
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia
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14
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Zhou R, Ji B, Kong Y, Qin L, Ren W, Guan Y, Ni R. PET Imaging of Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Immunol 2021; 12:739130. [PMID: 34603323 PMCID: PMC8481830 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.739130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation play an important role in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Advances in molecular imaging using positron emission tomography have provided insights into the time course of neuroinflammation and its relation with Alzheimer's disease central pathologies in patients and in animal disease models. Recent single-cell sequencing and transcriptomics indicate dynamic disease-associated microglia and astrocyte profiles in Alzheimer's disease. Mitochondrial 18-kDa translocator protein is the most widely investigated target for neuroinflammation imaging. New generation of translocator protein tracers with improved performance have been developed and evaluated along with tau and amyloid imaging for assessing the disease progression in Alzheimer's disease continuum. Given that translocator protein is not exclusively expressed in glia, alternative targets are under rapid development, such as monoamine oxidase B, matrix metalloproteinases, colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, imidazoline-2 binding sites, cyclooxygenase, cannabinoid-2 receptor, purinergic P2X7 receptor, P2Y12 receptor, the fractalkine receptor, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, and receptor for advanced glycation end products. Promising targets should demonstrate a higher specificity for cellular locations with exclusive expression in microglia or astrocyte and activation status (pro- or anti-inflammatory) with highly specific ligand to enable in vivo brain imaging. In this review, we summarised recent advances in the development of neuroinflammation imaging tracers and provided an outlook for promising targets in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Zhou
- Department of Nephrology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Ji
- Department of Radiopharmacy and Molecular Imaging, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanyan Kong
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Limei Qin
- Inner Mongolia Baicaotang Qin Chinese Mongolia Hospital, Hohhot, China
| | - Wuwei Ren
- School of Information Science and Technology, Shanghaitech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Beaino W, Janssen B, Vugts DJ, de Vries HE, Windhorst AD. Towards PET imaging of the dynamic phenotypes of microglia. Clin Exp Immunol 2021; 206:282-300. [PMID: 34331705 PMCID: PMC8561701 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence showing the heterogeneity of microglia activation in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. It has been hypothesized that pro‐inflammatory microglia are detrimental and contribute to disease progression, while anti‐inflammatory microglia play a role in damage repair and remission. The development of therapeutics targeting the deleterious glial activity and modulating it into a regenerative phenotype relies heavily upon a clearer understanding of the microglia dynamics during disease progression and the ability to monitor therapeutic outcome in vivo. To that end, molecular imaging techniques are required to assess microglia dynamics and study their role in disease progression as well as to evaluate the outcome of therapeutic interventions. Positron emission tomography (PET) is such a molecular imaging technique, and provides unique capabilities for non‐invasive quantification of neuroinflammation and has the potential to discriminate between microglia phenotypes and define their role in the disease process. However, several obstacles limit the possibility for selective in vivo imaging of microglia phenotypes mainly related to the poor characterization of specific targets that distinguish the two ends of the microglia activation spectrum and lack of suitable tracers. PET tracers targeting translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) have been extensively explored, but despite the success in evaluating neuroinflammation they failed to discriminate between microglia activation statuses. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge on the microglia phenotypes in the major neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. We also discuss the current and emerging PET imaging targets, the tracers and their potential in discriminating between the pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory microglia activation states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissam Beaino
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bieneke Janssen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Danielle J Vugts
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Helga E de Vries
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, MS Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert D Windhorst
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Tracer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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16
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Teodoro R, Gündel D, Deuther-Conrad W, Ueberham L, Toussaint M, Bormans G, Brust P, Moldovan RP. Development of [ 18F]LU14 for PET Imaging of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 in the Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158051. [PMID: 34360817 PMCID: PMC8347709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptors type 2 (CB2R) represent an attractive therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Aiming at the development of a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer to monitor receptor density and/or occupancy during a CB2R-tailored therapy, we herein describe the radiosynthesis of cis-[18F]1-(4-fluorobutyl-N-((1s,4s)-4-methylcyclohexyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-1,8-naphthyridine-3-carboxamide ([18F]LU14) starting from the corresponding mesylate precursor. The first biological evaluation revealed that [18F]LU14 is a highly affine CB2R radioligand with >80% intact tracer in the brain at 30 min p.i. Its further evaluation by PET in a well-established rat model of CB2R overexpression demonstrated its ability to selectively image the CB2R in the brain and its potential as a tracer to further investigate disease-related changes in CB2R expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Teodoro
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Daniel Gündel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Lea Ueberham
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Magali Toussaint
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
| | - Guy Bormans
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, BE-3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Peter Brust
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
- The Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; (R.T.); (D.G.); (W.D.-C.); (L.U.); (M.T.); (P.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-3412-3417-94634
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17
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Aly MW, Ludwig FA, Deuther-Conrad W, Brust P, Abadi AH, Moldovan RP, Osman NA. Development of fluorinated and methoxylated benzothiazole derivatives as highly potent and selective cannabinoid CB 2 receptor ligands. Bioorg Chem 2021; 114:105191. [PMID: 34375194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The upregulation of the CB2 receptors in neuroinflammation and cancer and their potential visualization with PET (positron emission tomography) could provide a valuable diagnostic and therapy-monitoring tool in such disorders. However, the availability of reliable CB2-selective imaging probes is still lacking in clinical practice. We have recently identified a benzothiazole-2-ylidine amide hit (6a) as a highly potent CB2 ligand. With the aim of enhancing its CB2 over CB1 selectivity and introducing structural sites suitable for radiolabeling, we herein describe the development of fluorinated and methoxylated benzothiazole derivatives endowed with extremely high CB2 binding affinity and an exclusive selectivity to the CB2 receptor. Compounds 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 24 and 25 displayed subnanomolar CB2Ki values (ranging from 0.16 nM to 0.68 nM) and interestingly, all of the synthesized compounds completely lacked affinity at the CB1 receptor (Ki > 10,000 nM for all compounds), indicating their remarkably high CB2 over CB1 selectivity factors. The fluorinated analogs, 15 and 21, were evaluated for their in vitro metabolic stability in mouse and human liver microsomes (MLM and HLM). Both 15 and 21 displayed an exceptionally high stability (98% and 91% intact compounds, respectively) after 60 min incubation with MLM. Contrastingly, a 5- and 2.8-fold lower stability was demonstrated for compounds 15 and 21, respectively, upon incubation with HLM for 60 min. Taken together, our data present extremely potent and selective CB2 ligands as credible leads that can be further exploited for 18F- or 11C-radiolabeling and utilization as PET tracers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayar W Aly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt
| | - Friedrich-Alexander Ludwig
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Ashraf H Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Research Site Leipzig, Leipzig 04318, Germany.
| | - Noha A Osman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt.
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18
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Kim C, Kassu M, Smith KP, Kirby JE, Manetsch R. Pyrazole-Thiazole Core-Containing Analogs Exhibit Adjunctive Activity with Meropenem against Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). ChemMedChem 2021; 16:2775-2780. [PMID: 34096189 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pyrazole-thiazole core-containing compound KP-40 and 20 novel derivatives were designed and synthesized through traditional SAR analysis. These molecules displayed adjunctive activity with meropenem against Gram-negative bacteria evidenced by a range of fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC=0.5-0.25) and minimum adjunctive concentration (MAC=128-32 μM) values. Of this series of molecules, four compounds displayed notable adjunctive potential, with FIC and MAC values of 0.25 and 32 μM, respectively. Moreover, the solubility of these compounds was improved to an acceptable range. Further analysis using our "in house" permeation and efflux multi parameter optimization (PEMPO) algorithm revealed key physicochemical properties that may be critical for the development of active Gram-negative antibacterials. Taking PEMPO scores into consideration prior to executing synthesis of analogs may be a simple, yet rapid and effective strategy that can be used in conjunction with traditional SAR approaches to aid in the design of potent Gram-negative antibacterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chungsik Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mintesinot Kassu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth P Smith
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James E Kirby
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Roman Manetsch
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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19
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Ahmed I, Rehman SU, Shahmohamadnejad S, Zia MA, Ahmad M, Saeed MM, Akram Z, Iqbal HMN, Liu Q. Therapeutic Attributes of Endocannabinoid System against Neuro-Inflammatory Autoimmune Disorders. Molecules 2021; 26:3389. [PMID: 34205169 PMCID: PMC8199938 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, various sites like cannabinoid receptors (CBR) having a binding affinity with cannabinoids are distributed on the surface of different cell types, where endocannabinoids (ECs) and derivatives of fatty acid can bind. The binding of these substance(s) triggers the activation of specific receptors required for various physiological functions, including pain sensation, memory, and appetite. The ECs and CBR perform multiple functions via the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1); cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), having a key effect in restraining neurotransmitters and the arrangement of cytokines. The role of cannabinoids in the immune system is illustrated because of their immunosuppressive characteristics. These characteristics include inhibition of leucocyte proliferation, T cells apoptosis, and induction of macrophages along with reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion. The review seeks to discuss the functional relationship between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and anti-tumor characteristics of cannabinoids in various cancers. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for cancer-both in vivo and in vitro clinical trials-has also been highlighted and reported to be effective in mice models in arthritis for the inflammation reduction, neuropathic pain, positive effect in multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes mellitus, and found beneficial for treating in various cancers. In human models, such studies are limited; thereby, further research is indispensable in this field to get a conclusive outcome. Therefore, in autoimmune disorders, therapeutic cannabinoids can serve as promising immunosuppressive and anti-fibrotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtiaq Ahmed
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
- School of Medical Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;
| | - Saif Ur Rehman
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
| | - Shiva Shahmohamadnejad
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14176-13151, Iran;
| | - Muhammad Anjum Zia
- Enzyme Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan; (M.A.Z.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Muhammad Ahmad
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (SBBUVAS), Sakrand 67210, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Muzammal Saeed
- Enzyme Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan; (M.A.Z.); (M.M.S.)
| | - Zain Akram
- School of Medical Science, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;
| | - Hafiz M. N. Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, 64849 Monterrey, Mexico;
| | - Qingyou Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China;
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20
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Hou L, Rong J, Haider A, Ogasawara D, Varlow C, Schafroth MA, Mu L, Gan J, Xu H, Fowler CJ, Zhang MR, Vasdev N, Ametamey S, Cravatt BF, Wang L, Liang SH. Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Endocannabinoid System: Opportunities and Challenges in Radiotracer Development. J Med Chem 2020; 64:123-149. [PMID: 33379862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in a wide range of biological functions and comprises cannabinoid receptors and enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation. Over the past 2 decades, significant advances toward developing drugs and positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting different components of the ECS have been made. Herein, we summarized the recent development of PET tracers for imaging cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R) as well as the key enzymes monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), particularly focusing on PET neuroimaging applications. State-of-the-art PET tracers for the ECS will be reviewed including their chemical design, pharmacological properties, radiolabeling, as well as preclinical and human PET imaging. In addition, this review addresses the current challenges for ECS PET biomarker development and highlights the important role of PET ligands to study disease pathophysiology as well as to facilitate drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Hou
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 613 West Huangpu Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jian Rong
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Ahmed Haider
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Daisuke Ogasawara
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, SR107, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Cassis Varlow
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Department of Psychiatry/Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, M5T 1R8 ON, Canada
| | - Michael A Schafroth
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, SR107, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Linjing Mu
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH, PSI, and USZ, and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jiefeng Gan
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 613 West Huangpu Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 613 West Huangpu Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Christopher J Fowler
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ming-Rong Zhang
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals Development, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States.,Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Department of Psychiatry/Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, M5T 1R8 ON, Canada
| | - Simon Ametamey
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH, PSI, and USZ, and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin F Cravatt
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology and Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, SR107, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Center of Cyclotron and PET Radiopharmaceuticals, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT-MRI Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, 613 West Huangpu Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China.,Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Steven H Liang
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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21
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D'Elia A, Schiavi S, Soluri A, Massari R, Soluri A, Trezza V. Role of Nuclear Imaging to Understand the Neural Substrates of Brain Disorders in Laboratory Animals: Current Status and Future Prospects. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:596509. [PMID: 33362486 PMCID: PMC7759612 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.596509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular imaging, which allows the real-time visualization, characterization and measurement of biological processes, is becoming increasingly used in neuroscience research. Scintigraphy techniques such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) provide qualitative and quantitative measurement of brain activity in both physiological and pathological states. Laboratory animals, and rodents in particular, are essential in neuroscience research, providing plenty of models of brain disorders. The development of innovative high-resolution small animal imaging systems together with their radiotracers pave the way to the study of brain functioning and neurotransmitter release during behavioral tasks in rodents. The assessment of local changes in the release of neurotransmitters associated with the performance of a given behavioral task is a turning point for the development of new potential drugs for psychiatric and neurological disorders. This review addresses the role of SPECT and PET small animal imaging systems for a better understanding of brain functioning in health and disease states. Brain imaging in rodent models faces a series of challenges since it acts within the boundaries of current imaging in terms of sensitivity and spatial resolution. Several topics are discussed, including technical considerations regarding the strengths and weaknesses of both technologies. Moreover, the application of some of the radioligands developed for small animal nuclear imaging studies is discussed. Then, we examine the changes in metabolic and neurotransmitter activity in various brain areas during task-induced neural activation with special regard to the imaging of opioid, dopaminergic and cannabinoid receptors. Finally, we discuss the current status providing future perspectives on the most innovative imaging techniques in small laboratory animals. The challenges and solutions discussed here might be useful to better understand brain functioning allowing the translation of preclinical results into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annunziata D'Elia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy.,Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Department of Science, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Schiavi
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Department of Science, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Soluri
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Massari
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Soluri
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Trezza
- Section of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Department of Science, University "Roma Tre", Rome, Italy
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22
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Cipollina G, Davari Serej A, Di Nolfi G, Gazzano A, Marsala A, Spatafora MG, Peviani M. Heterogeneity of Neuroinflammatory Responses in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Challenge or an Opportunity? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217923. [PMID: 33113845 PMCID: PMC7662281 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex pathology: (i) the neurodegeneration is chronic and progressive; it starts focally in specific central nervous system (CNS) areas and spreads to different districts; (ii) multiple cell types further than motor neurons (i.e., glial/immune system cells) are actively involved in the disease; (iii) both neurosupportive and neurotoxic neuroinflammatory responses were identified. Microglia cells (a key player of neuroinflammation in the CNS) attracted great interest as potential target cell population that could be modulated to counteract disease progression, at least in preclinical ALS models. However, the heterogeneous/multifaceted microglia cell responses occurring in different CNS districts during the disease represent a hurdle for clinical translation of single-drug therapies. To address this issue, over the past ten years, several studies attempted to dissect the complexity of microglia responses in ALS. In this review, we shall summarize these results highlighting how the heterogeneous signature displayed by ALS microglia reflects not only the extent of neuronal demise in different regions of the CNS, but also variable engagement in the attempts to cope with the neuronal damage. We shall discuss novel avenues opened by the advent of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics technologies, underlining the potential for discovery of novel therapeutic targets, as well as more specific diagnostic/prognostic not-invasive markers of neuroinflammation.
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23
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Haider A, Gobbi L, Kretz J, Ullmer C, Brink A, Honer M, Woltering TJ, Muri D, Iding H, Bürkler M, Binder M, Bartelmus C, Knuesel I, Pacher P, Herde AM, Spinelli F, Ahmed H, Atz K, Keller C, Weber M, Schibli R, Mu L, Grether U, Ametamey SM. Identification and Preclinical Development of a 2,5,6-Trisubstituted Fluorinated Pyridine Derivative as a Radioligand for the Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptors. J Med Chem 2020; 63:10287-10306. [PMID: 32787079 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite the broad implications of the cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) in neuroinflammatory processes, a suitable CB2-targeted probe is currently lacking in clinical routine. In this work, we synthesized 15 fluorinated pyridine derivatives and tested their binding affinities toward CB2 and CB1. With a sub-nanomolar affinity (Ki for CB2) of 0.8 nM and a remarkable selectivity factor of >12,000 over CB1, RoSMA-18-d6 exhibited outstanding in vitro performance characteristics and was radiofluorinated with an average radiochemical yield of 10.6 ± 3.8% (n = 16) and molar activities ranging from 52 to 65 GBq/μmol (radiochemical purity > 99%). [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 showed exceptional CB2 attributes as demonstrated by in vitro autoradiography, ex vivo biodistribution, and positron emission tomography (PET). Further, [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 was used to detect CB2 upregulation on postmortem human ALS spinal cord tissues. Overall, these results suggest that [18F]RoSMA-18-d6 is a promising CB2 PET radioligand for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Haider
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Gobbi
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julian Kretz
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Ullmer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Brink
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Honer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas J Woltering
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dieter Muri
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans Iding
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Bürkler
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Binder
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Bartelmus
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Irene Knuesel
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pal Pacher
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury, National Institute of Health/NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 20852 Maryland, United States
| | - Adrienne Müller Herde
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Spinelli
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hazem Ahmed
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kenneth Atz
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Keller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, 9007 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Roger Schibli
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linjing Mu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Grether
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Ametamey
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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24
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Basagni F, Rosini M, Decker M. Functionalized Cannabinoid Subtype 2 Receptor Ligands: Fluorescent, PET, Photochromic and Covalent Molecular Probes. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:1374-1389. [PMID: 32578963 PMCID: PMC7497013 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid subtype 2 receptors (CB2 Rs) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belonging to the endocannabinoid system, a complex network of signalling pathways leading to the regulation of key physiological processes. Interestingly, CB2 Rs are strongly up-regulated in pathological conditions correlated with the onset of inflammatory events like cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, CB2 Rs represent an important biological target for therapeutic as well as diagnostic purposes. No CB2 R-selective drugs are yet on the market, thus underlining a that deeper comprehension of CB2 Rs' complex activation pathways and their role in the regulation of diseases is needed. Herein, we report an overview of pharmacological and imaging tools such as fluorescent, positron emission tomography (PET), photochromic and covalent selective CB2 R ligands. These molecular probes can be used in vitro as well as in vivo to investigate and explore the unravelled role(s) of CB2 Rs, and they can help to design suitable CB2 R-targeted drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Basagni
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Institute of Pharmacy and Food ChemistryJulius Maximilian University of WürzburgAm Hubland97074WürzburgGermany
- Department of Pharmacy and BiotechnologyUniversity of BolognaVia Belmeloro 640126BolognaItaly
| | - Michela Rosini
- Department of Pharmacy and BiotechnologyUniversity of BolognaVia Belmeloro 640126BolognaItaly
| | - Michael Decker
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Institute of Pharmacy and Food ChemistryJulius Maximilian University of WürzburgAm Hubland97074WürzburgGermany
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25
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Xu D, Peng C, Gao F, Guo Z, Zhuang R, Su X, Zhang X. Radioiodinated estradiol dimer for estrogen receptor targeted breast cancer imaging. Chem Biol Drug Des 2020; 96:1332-1340. [PMID: 32603003 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop a 1-(2-(2-(2-(1,2,3-triazol)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl)-5-[125/131 I]iodo-1,2,3-triazole-diestradiol ([125/131 I]ITE2), for estrogen receptor (ER)-expressing breast cancer imaging with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). [125/131 I]ITE2 was prepared in good radiochemical yield (94.4 ± 0.4%) with high radiochemical purity (>99%). [125/131 I]ITE2 had good stability in vitro and moderate molar activity (0.3 ± 0.2 GBq/µmol). Higher uptake in ER-positive MCF-7 cells than that of ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells was observed at all time points. Rats biodistribution showed that [131 I]ITE2 had high uptake in ER-abundant uterine and ovarian (5.7 ± 0.4 and 10.1 ± 1.4%ID/g at 1 hr postinjection) and could be blocked by co-injection of estradiol (2.7 ± 0.1 and 5.5 ± 0.4%ID/g) obviously. In the SPECT/CT imaging study, [125 I]ITE2 showed significant higher uptake in MCF-7 tumor (3.1 ± 0.4%ID/g) than that of MDA-MB-231 (0.9 ± 0.1%ID/g). Furthermore, the specific uptake of [125 I]ITE2 in ER-positive MCF-7 tumor could be blocked effectively by preadministration of fulvestrant (1.2 ± 0.4%ID/g). A novel radioiodinated dimeric estrogen was designed and synthesized with promising ER targeting ability and specificity. It is worthy of further investigation to validate the advantages of the dimer in ER-positive breast cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Chenyu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhide Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Rongqiang Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xinhui Su
- Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xianzhong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular, Diahgnostics & Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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26
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Berdyyeva T, Xia C, Taylor N, He Y, Chen G, Huang C, Zhang W, Kolb H, Letavic M, Bhattacharya A, Szardenings AK. PET Imaging of the P2X7 Ion Channel with a Novel Tracer [ 18F]JNJ-64413739 in a Rat Model of Neuroinflammation. Mol Imaging Biol 2020; 21:871-878. [PMID: 30632003 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-018-01313-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The P2X7 receptor, an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-gated purinoreceptor, has emerged as one of the key players in neuroinflammatory processes. Therefore, developing a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for imaging of P2X7 receptors in vivo presents a promising approach to diagnose, monitor, and study neuroinflammation in a variety of brain disorders. To fulfill the goal of developing a P2X7 PET ligand as a biomarker of neuroinflammation, [18F]JNJ-64413739 has been recently disclosed. PROCEDURES We evaluated [18F]JNJ-64413739 in a rat model of neuroinflammation induced by an intracerebral injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo brain uptake was determined by PET imaging. Upregulation of neuroinflammatory biomarkers was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Distribution of the tracer in the brain was determined by ex vivo autoradiography (ARG). The specificity of [18F]JNJ-64413739 was confirmed by performing blocking experiments with the P2X7 antagonist JNJ-54175446. RESULTS Brain regions of rats injected with LPS had a significantly increased uptake (34 % ± 3 % s.e.m., p = 0.036, t test, standardized uptake value measured over the entire scanning period) of [18F]JNJ-64413739 relative to the corresponding brain regions of control animals injected with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The uptake in the contralateral regions and cerebellum was not significantly different between the groups of animals. The increase in uptake of [18F]JNJ-64413739 at the LPS-injected site observed by PET imaging was concordant with ex vivo ARG, upregulation of neuroinflammatory biomarkers, and elevated P2X7 expression levels. CONCLUSIONS While further work is needed to study [18F]JNJ-64413739 in other types of neuroinflammation, the current results favorably characterize [18F]JNJ-64413739 as a potential PET tracer of central neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Berdyyeva
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
| | - Chunfang Xia
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Natalie Taylor
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Yingbo He
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Chaofeng Huang
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Wei Zhang
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Hartmuth Kolb
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Michael Letavic
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Anindya Bhattacharya
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
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27
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Fluorinated CRA13 analogues: Synthesis, in vitro evaluation, radiosynthesis, in silico and in vivo PET study. Bioorg Chem 2020; 99:103834. [PMID: 32334193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fluorine is a unique atom that imparts distinct properties to bioactive molecules upon incorporation. Herein, we prepare and study fluorinated derivatives of the nanomolar affine peripherally restricted dual CB1R/CB2R agonist; CRA13 and its analogs. Binding affinity evaluation relative to CRA13 proved the stronger binding affinity of compound 7c to CB1R and CB2R by 6.95 and 5.64 folds. Physicochemical properties evaluation proved compound 7c improved lipophilicity profile suggesting some enhanced BBB penetration relative to CRA13. Radiosynthesis of 18F-labeled compound 7c was conducted conveniently affording pure hot ligand. In vivo PET study investigation demonstrated efficient distribution of 18F-labeled compound 7c in peripheral tissues visualizing peripheral CB1R/CB2R generating time-activity-curves showing good standard uptake values. Despite enhanced BBB penetration and increased cannabinoid receptors binding affinity, low brain uptake of 7c was observed. In silico docking study explained the measured binding affinities of compounds 7a-d to CB1R. While most of previous efforts aimed to develop central cannabinoid PET imaging agents, 18F-labeled compound 7c might be a promising agent serving as a universal CB1R/CB2R PET imaging agents for diagnosis and therapy of various diseases correlated with peripheral cannabinoid system. It might also serve as a lead compound for development of PET imaging of peripheral and central cannabinoid systems.
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28
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Wong J, Ke Z, Yeung YY. Lipophilic indole mediated chemoselective α-monobromination of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. Tetrahedron Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2020.151772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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29
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Haider A, Kretz J, Gobbi L, Ahmed H, Atz K, Bürkler M, Bartelmus C, Fingerle J, Guba W, Ullmer C, Honer M, Knuesel I, Weber M, Brink A, Herde AM, Keller C, Schibli R, Mu L, Grether U, Ametamey SM. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Pyridine-Based Ligands and Identification of a Fluorinated Derivative for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptors. J Med Chem 2019; 62:11165-11181. [PMID: 31751140 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor has emerged as a valuable target for therapy and imaging of immune-mediated pathologies. With the aim to find a suitable radiofluorinated analogue of the previously reported CB2 positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand [11C]RSR-056, 38 fluorinated derivatives were synthesized and tested by in vitro binding assays. With a Ki (hCB2) of 6 nM and a selectivity factor of nearly 700 over cannabinoid type 1 receptors, target compound 3 exhibited optimal in vitro properties and was selected for evaluation as a PET radioligand. [18F]3 was obtained in an average radiochemical yield of 11 ± 4% and molar activities between 33 and 114 GBq/μmol. Specific binding of [18F]3 to CB2 was demonstrated by in vitro autoradiography and in vivo PET experiments using the CB2 ligand GW-405 833. Metabolite analysis revealed only intact [18F]3 in the rat brain. [18F]3 detected CB2 upregulation in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spinal cord tissue and may thus become a candidate for diagnostic use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Haider
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Julian Kretz
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Luca Gobbi
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Hazem Ahmed
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Kenneth Atz
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Markus Bürkler
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Christian Bartelmus
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Fingerle
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Guba
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Christoph Ullmer
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Michael Honer
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Irene Knuesel
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Markus Weber
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit/ALS Clinic , Kantonsspital St. Gallen , CH-9007 St. Gallen , Switzerland
| | - Andreas Brink
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Adrienne Müller Herde
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Claudia Keller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Roger Schibli
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland.,Department of Nuclear Medicine , University Hospital Zurich , CH-8091 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Linjing Mu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland.,Department of Nuclear Medicine , University Hospital Zurich , CH-8091 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Uwe Grether
- Pharma Research and Early Development , F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd , CH-4070 Basel , Switzerland
| | - Simon M Ametamey
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences , ETH Zurich , Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4 , CH-8093 Zurich , Switzerland
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30
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Ni R, Mu L, Ametamey S. Positron emission tomography of type 2 cannabinoid receptors for detecting inflammation in the central nervous system. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2019; 40:351-357. [PMID: 29921889 PMCID: PMC6460366 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-018-0035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid receptor CB2 (CB2R) is upregulated on activated microglia and astrocytes in the brain under inflammatory conditions and plays important roles in many neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and ischemic stroke. The advent of positron emission tomography (PET) using CB2R radiotracers has enabled the visualization of CB2R distribution in vivo in animal models of central nervous system inflammation, however translation to humans has been less successful. Several novel CB2R radiotracers have been developed and evaluated to quantify microglial activation. In this review, we summarize the recent preclinical and clinical imaging results of CB2R PET tracers and discuss the prospects of CB2R imaging using PET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqing Ni
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - Linjing Mu
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland
| | - Simon Ametamey
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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31
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Attili B, Celen S, Ahamed M, Koole M, Haute CVD, Vanduffel W, Bormans G. Preclinical evaluation of [ 18 F]MA3: a CB 2 receptor agonist radiotracer for PET. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:1481-1491. [PMID: 30588600 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Non-invasive in vivo imaging of cannabinoid CB2 receptors using PET is pursued to study neuroinflammation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in vivo binding specificity of [18 F]MA3, a CB2 receptor agonist, in a rat model with local overexpression of human (h) CB2 receptors. METHODS [18 F]MA3 was produced with good radiochemical yield and radiochemical purity. The radiotracer was evaluated in rats with local overexpression of hCB2 receptors and in a healthy non-human primate using PET. KEY RESULTS Ex vivo autoradiography demonstrated CB2 -specific binding of [18 F]MA3 in rat hCB2 receptor vector injected striatum. In a PET study, increased tracer binding in the hCB2 receptor vector-injected striatum compared to the contralateral control vector-injected striatum was observed. Binding in hCB2 receptor vector-injected striatum was blocked with a structurally non-related CB2 receptor inverse agonist, and a displacement study confirmed the reversibility of tracer binding. This study identified the utility of mutated inactive vector model for evaluation of CB2 receptor agonist PET tracers. [18 F]MA3 PET scans in the non-human primate showed good uptake and fast washout from brain, but no CB2 receptor-specific binding was observed. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Evaluation of [18 F]MA3 in a rat model with local overexpression of hCB2 receptors showed CB2 receptor-specific and reversible tracer binding. [18 F]MA3 showed good brain uptake and subsequent washout in a healthy non-human primate, but no specific binding was observed. Further clinical evaluation of [18 F]MA3 in patients with neuroinflammation is warranted. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on 8th European Workshop on Cannabinoid Research. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.10/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bala Attili
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Celen
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Muneer Ahamed
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michel Koole
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, UZ Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris Van Den Haute
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Viral Vector Core, Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vanduffel
- Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Development of brain PET imaging agents: Strategies for imaging neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 165:371-399. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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33
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Franco Machado J, Silva RD, Melo R, G Correia JD. Less Exploited GPCRs in Precision Medicine: Targets for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics. Molecules 2018; 24:E49. [PMID: 30583594 PMCID: PMC6337414 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine relies on individually tailored therapeutic intervention taking into account individual variability. It is strongly dependent on the availability of target-specific drugs and/or imaging agents that recognize molecular targets and patient-specific disease mechanisms. The most sensitive molecular imaging modalities, Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), rely on the interaction between an imaging radioprobe and a target. Moreover, the use of target-specific molecular tools for both diagnostics and therapy, theranostic agents, represent an established methodology in nuclear medicine that is assuming an increasingly important role in precision medicine. The design of innovative imaging and/or theranostic agents is key for further accomplishments in the field. G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), apart from being highly relevant drug targets, have also been largely exploited as molecular targets for non-invasive imaging and/or systemic radiotherapy of various diseases. Herein, we will discuss recent efforts towards the development of innovative imaging and/or theranostic agents targeting selected emergent GPCRs, namely the Frizzled receptor (FZD), Ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a), G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), and Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR). The pharmacological and clinical relevance will be highlighted, giving particular attention to the studies on the synthesis and characterization of targeted molecular imaging agents, biological evaluation, and potential clinical applications in oncology and non-oncology diseases. Whenever relevant, supporting computational studies will be also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Franco Machado
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7), 2695-066 Bobadela LRS, Portugal.
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Rúben D Silva
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7), 2695-066 Bobadela LRS, Portugal.
| | - Rita Melo
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7), 2695-066 Bobadela LRS, Portugal.
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology; Rua Larga, Faculdade de Medicina, Polo I, 1ºandar, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - João D G Correia
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, CTN, Estrada Nacional 10 (km 139,7), 2695-066 Bobadela LRS, Portugal.
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Mugnaini C, Rabbito A, Brizzi A, Palombi N, Petrosino S, Verde R, Di Marzo V, Ligresti A, Corelli F. Synthesis of novel 2-(1-adamantanylcarboxamido)thiophene derivatives. Selective cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor agonists as potential agents for the treatment of skin inflammatory disease. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 161:239-251. [PMID: 30359820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.09.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
A set of CB2R ligands, based on the thiophene scaffold, was synthesized and evaluated in in vitro assays. Compounds 8c-i, k, l, bearing the 3-carboxylate and 2-(adamantan-1-yl)carboxamido groups together with apolar alkyl/aryl substituents at 5-position or at 4- and 5-positions of the thiophene ring possess high CB2R affinity at low nanomolar concentration, good receptor selectivity, and agonistic functional activity. The full agonist 8g, showing the best balance between receptor affinity and selectivity, was tested in vitro in an experimental model of allergic contact dermatitis and proved to be able to block the release of MCP-2 in HaCaT cells at 10 μM concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mugnaini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Rabbito
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via dei Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy
| | - Antonella Brizzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Nastasja Palombi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrosino
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via dei Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy
| | - Roberta Verde
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via dei Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Marzo
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via dei Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy
| | - Alessia Ligresti
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via dei Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy.
| | - Federico Corelli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
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Abstract
Neuroinflammation, which involves microglial activation, is thought to play a key role in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases and other brain pathologies. Positron emission tomography is an ideal imaging technique for studying biochemical processes in vivo, and particularly for studying the living brain. Neuroinflammation has been traditionally studied using radiotracers targeting the translocator protein 18 kDa, but this comes with certain limitations. The current review describes alternative biological targets that have gained interest for the imaging of microglial activation over recent years, such as the cannabinoid receptor type 2, cyclooxygenase-2, the P2X₇ receptor and reactive oxygen species, and some promising radiotracers for these targets. Although many advances have been made in the field of neuroinflammation imaging, current radiotracers all target the pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotype of activated microglia, since the number of known biological targets specific for the anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotype that are also suited as a target for radiotracer development is still limited. Next to proceeding the currently available tracers for M1 microglia into the clinic, the development of a suitable radiotracer for M2 microglia would mean a great advance in the field, as this would allow for imaging of the dynamics of microglial activation in different diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bieneke Janssen
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Danielle J Vugts
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Albert D Windhorst
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Robert H Mach
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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36
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Roslan II, Ng KH, Gondal MA, Basheer C, Dastageer MA, Jaenicke S, Chuah GK. Visible Light-Mediated Coupling of Thioureas and 1,3-Dicarbonyls: Towards a Leaving Group-Free Synthesis of Aminothiazoles. Adv Synth Catal 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.201701565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Irwan Iskandar Roslan
- Department of Chemistry; National University of Singapore; 3 Science Drive 3 Singapore 117543
| | - Kian-Hong Ng
- Department of Chemistry; National University of Singapore; 3 Science Drive 3 Singapore 117543
| | - Mohammed Ashraf Gondal
- Physics Department; King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; Dhahran 31261 Saudi Arabia
| | - Chanbasha Basheer
- Chemistry Department; King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; Dhahran 31261 Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed A. Dastageer
- Physics Department; King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; Dhahran 31261 Saudi Arabia
| | - Stephan Jaenicke
- Department of Chemistry; National University of Singapore; 3 Science Drive 3 Singapore 117543
| | - Gaik-Khuan Chuah
- Department of Chemistry; National University of Singapore; 3 Science Drive 3 Singapore 117543
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37
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Optimization of the metabolic stability of a fluorinated cannabinoid receptor subtype 2 (CB2) ligand designed for PET studies. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 146:409-422. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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38
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Haider A, Spinelli F, Herde AM, Mu B, Keller C, Margelisch M, Weber M, Schibli R, Mu L, Ametamey SM. Evaluation of 4-oxo-quinoline-based CB2 PET radioligands in R6/2 chorea huntington mouse model and human ALS spinal cord tissue. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 145:746-759. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.12.097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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39
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Fisher MJ, McMurray L, Lu S, Morse CL, Liow JS, Zoghbi SS, Kowalski A, Tye GL, Innis RB, Aigbirhio FI, Pike VW. [Carboxyl- 11 C]Labelling of Four High-Affinity cPLA2α Inhibitors and Their Evaluation as Radioligands in Mice by Positron Emission Tomography. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:138-146. [PMID: 29232493 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201700697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) may play a critical role in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders associated with oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. An effective PET radioligand for imaging cPLA2α in living brain might prove useful for biomedical research, especially on neuroinflammation. We selected four high-affinity (IC50 2.1-12 nm) indole-5-carboxylic acid-based inhibitors of cPLA2α, namely 3-isobutyryl-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (1); 3-acetyl-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy)phenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (2); 3-(3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-1-(2-oxo-3-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)propyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (3); and 3-(3-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-1-(3-(4-octylphenoxy)-2-oxopropyl)-1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid (4), for labelling in carboxyl position with carbon-11 (t1/2 =20.4 min) to provide candidate PET radioligands for imaging brain cPLA2α. Compounds [11 C]1-4 were obtained for intravenous injection in adequate overall yields (1.1-5.5 %) from cyclotron-produced [11 C]carbon dioxide and with moderate molar activities (70-141 GBq μmol-1 ) through the use of Pd0 -mediated [11 C]carbon monoxide insertion on iodo precursors. Measured logD7.4 values were within a narrow moderate range (1.9-2.4). After intravenous injection of [11 C]1-4 in mice, radioactivity uptakes in brain peaked at low values (≤0.8 SUV) and decreased by about 90 % over 15 min. Pretreatments of the mice with high doses of the corresponding non-radioactive ligands did not alter brain time-activity curves. Brain uptakes of radioactivity after administration of [11 C]1 to wild-type and P-gp/BCRP dual knock-out mice were similar (peak 0.4 vs. 0.5 SUV), indicating that [11 C]1 and others in this structural class, are not substrates for efflux transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Fisher
- Molecular Imaging Chemistry Laboratory, Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Lindsay McMurray
- Molecular Imaging Chemistry Laboratory, Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Shuiyu Lu
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Cheryl L Morse
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jeih-San Liow
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sami S Zoghbi
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aneta Kowalski
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George L Tye
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert B Innis
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Franklin I Aigbirhio
- Molecular Imaging Chemistry Laboratory, Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Victor W Pike
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room B3C346, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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40
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Spinelli F, Mu L, Ametamey SM. Radioligands for positron emission tomography imaging of cannabinoid type 2 receptor. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 2017; 61:299-308. [PMID: 29110331 DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor is an immunomodulatory receptor mainly expressed in peripheral cells and organs of the immune system. The expression level of CB2 in the central nervous system under physiological conditions is negligible, however under neuroinflammatory conditions an upregulation of CB2 protein or mRNA mainly colocalized with activated microglial cells has been reported. Consequently, CB2 agonists have been confirmed to play a role in neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory processes. A suitable positron emission tomography radioligand for imaging CB2 would provide an invaluable research tool to explore the role of CB2 receptor expression in inflammatory disorders. In this review, we provide a summary of so far published CB2 radioligands as well as their in vitro and in vivo binding characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Spinelli
- Department of Pharmacy-Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bari "A. Moro", Bari, Italy.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linjing Mu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Ametamey
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences of ETH-PSI-USZ, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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41
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Schifani C, Hafizi S, Da Silva T, Watts JJ, Khan MS, Mizrahi R. Using molecular imaging to understand early schizophrenia-related psychosis neurochemistry: a review of human studies. Int Rev Psychiatry 2017; 29:555-566. [PMID: 29219634 PMCID: PMC8011813 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2017.1396205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder generally preceded by a so-called prodromal phase, which is characterized by attenuated psychotic symptoms. Advances in clinical research have enabled prospective identification of those individuals who are at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, with the power to predict psychosis onset within the near future. Changes in several brain neurochemical systems and molecular mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the psychosis spectrum, including the dopaminergic, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic, glutamatergic, endocannabinoid, and immunologic (i.e. glial activation) system and other promising future directions such as synaptic density, which are possible to quantify in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET). This paper aims to review in vivo PET studies in the mentioned systems in the early course of psychosis (i.e. CHR and first-episode psychosis (FEP)). The results of reviewed studies are promising; however, the current understanding of the underlying pathology of psychosis is still limited. Importantly, promising efforts involve the development of novel PET radiotracers targeting systems with growing interest in schizophrenia, like the nociceptive system and synaptic density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Schifani
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sina Hafizi
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tania Da Silva
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jeremy Joseph Watts
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M. Saad Khan
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Romina Mizrahi
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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42
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Caillé F, Cacheux F, Peyronneau MA, Jego B, Jaumain E, Pottier G, Ullmer C, Grether U, Winkeler A, Dollé F, Damont A, Kuhnast B. From Structure-Activity Relationships on Thiazole Derivatives to the In Vivo Evaluation of a New Radiotracer for Cannabinoid Subtype 2 PET Imaging. Mol Pharm 2017; 14:4064-4078. [PMID: 28968497 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.7b00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Upregulation of the cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2R) unveils inflammation processes of pathological disorders, such as cancer, pain, or neurodegenerative diseases. Among others, CB2R agonist A-836339 has been labeled with carbon-11 for PET imaging of the CB2R and displayed promising results in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the present work was to develop fluorinated analogs of A-836339 for labeling with fluorine-18 to design a new PET tracer for CB2R imaging. Seven fluorinated analogs of A-836339 were synthesized in two to three steps and their binding affinities and selectivities for both the human and the mouse CB2R were measured as well as their early ADME profiles. Among them, compound 2f (KihCB2R = 0.1 nM, KihCB1R/KihCB2R = 300) displayed high affinity and selectivity for CB2R but also promising lipophilicity, kinetic solubility, and membrane permeation properties and was further selected for in vitro metabolism studies. Incubation of 2f with human or rat liver microsomes followed by LC/MS analysis revealed the presence of six different metabolites mainly resulting from oxidation reactions. A tosylated precursor of 2f was synthesized in two steps and radiolabeled with fluorine-18 to afford [18F]2f in 15 ± 5% radiochemical yield and a molar activity of 110 ± 30 GBq/μmol. Autoradiographies of rat spleen and biodistribution studies in healthy rats including pretreatments with either CB2R or CB1R-specific compounds suggested that [18F]2f is a specific tracer for the CB2R in vivo. We have therefore demonstrated here that [18F]2f is a promising novel tracer for imaging CB2R in vivo using PET. Further investigation in animal models of inflammation will follow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Caillé
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Fanny Cacheux
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Marie-Anne Peyronneau
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Benoît Jego
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Emilie Jaumain
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Géraldine Pottier
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Christoph Ullmer
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. , 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Grether
- Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. , 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Winkeler
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Frédéric Dollé
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Annelaure Damont
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Bertrand Kuhnast
- UMR 1023 IMIV, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, Inserm, Université Paris Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , 91405 Orsay, France
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Moldovan RP, Hausmann K, Deuther-Conrad W, Brust P. Development of Highly Affine and Selective Fluorinated Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptor Ligands. ACS Med Chem Lett 2017; 8:566-571. [PMID: 28523112 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.7b00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2 receptors) are involved in various pathological processes, and the visualization of their in vivo availability with positron emission tomography (PET) is of high interest. The study focuses on the introduction of fluorine into the structure of the highly affine and selective CB2 receptor ligand N-(adamantan-1-yl)-5-ethyl-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide (5). A novel series of compounds was developed by modifying (i) the adamantane-3-position, (ii) the imidazole-N-phenyl ring, and (iii) the imidazole-2-position, and the impact on the CB2 binding affinity and selectivity toward cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1) was evaluated. This study identified compound 15 as one of the most potent (Ki(CB2) = 0.29 nM) and selective (CB1/CB2 > 10000) CB2 receptor ligands discovered so far, eligible for the development of an 18F-labeled PET radiotracer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rareş-Petru Moldovan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Kristin Hausmann
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany
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Approaches for the discovery of novel positron emission tomography radiotracers for brain imaging. Clin Transl Imaging 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40336-017-0221-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Ahamed M, van Veghel D, Ullmer C, Van Laere K, Verbruggen A, Bormans GM. Synthesis, Biodistribution and In vitro Evaluation of Brain Permeable High Affinity Type 2 Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists [ 11C]MA2 and [ 18F]MA3. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:431. [PMID: 27713686 PMCID: PMC5031696 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuro)inflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([11C]MA2) and a fluorine-18 ([18F]MA3) labeled analog of a highly potent N-arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC50 = 0.015 nM). MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC50: 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively) and their in vitro binding affinity for hCB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group) was found to have higher binding affinity and EC50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analog 12. [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However, in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneer Ahamed
- Laboratory for Radiopharmacy, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Christoph Ullmer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Basel, Switzerland
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital and KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Guy M Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmacy, KU Leuven Leuven, Belgium
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