[(18)F]MK-7246 for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Beta-Cell Surface Marker GPR44

The progressive loss of beta-cell mass is a hallmark of diabetes and has been suggested as a complementary approach to studying the progression of diabetes in contrast to the beta-cell function. Non-invasive nuclear medicinal imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography using radiation emitting tracers have thus been suggested as more viable methodologies to visualize and quantify the beta-cell mass with sufficient sensitivity. The transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR44 has been identified as a biomarker for monitoring beta-cell mass. MK-7246 is a GPR44 antagonist that selectively binds to GPR44 with high affinity and good pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we present the synthesis of MK-7246, radiolabeled with the positron emitter fluorine-18 for preclinical evaluation using cell lines, mice, rats and human pancreatic cells. Here, we have described a synthesis and radiolabeling method for producing [¹⁸F]MK-7246 and its precursor compound. Preclinical assessments demonstrated the strong affinity and selectivity of [¹⁸F]MK-7246 towards GPR44. Additionally, [¹⁸F]MK-7246 exhibited excellent metabolic stability, a fast clearance profile from blood and tissues, qualifying it as a promising radioactive probe for GPR44-directed PET imaging.

The Eye as a Transplantation Site to Monitor Pancreatic Islet Cell Plasticity

The endocrine cells confined in the islets of Langerhans are responsible for the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis. In particular, beta cells produce and secrete insulin, an essential hormone regulating glucose uptake and metabolism. An insufficient amount of beta cells or defects in the molecular mechanisms leading to glucose-induced insulin secretion trigger the development of diabetes, a severe disease with epidemic spreading throughout the world. A comprehensive appreciation of the diverse adaptive procedures regulating beta cell mass and function is thus of paramount importance for the understanding of diabetes pathogenesis and for the development of effective therapeutic strategies. While significant findings were obtained by the use of islets isolated from the pancreas, in vitro studies are inherently limited since they lack the many factors influencing pancreatic islet cell function in vivo and do not allow for longitudinal monitoring of islet cell plasticity in the living organism. In this respect a number of imaging methodologies have been developed over the years for the study of islets in situ in the pancreas, a challenging task due to the relatively small size of the islets and their location, scattered throughout the organ. To increase imaging resolution and allow for longitudinal studies in individual islets, another strategy is based on the transplantation of islets into other sites that are more accessible for imaging. In this review we present the anterior chamber of the eye as a transplantation and imaging site for the study of pancreatic islet cell plasticity, and summarize the major research outcomes facilitated by this technological platform.

Distribution of pancreatic B cell imaging agent (99m)Tc-DTPA-NGN2 in the body and animal experimental research on pancreatic B cell functional imaging

PURPOSE

To explore the feasibility of the application of (99m)Tc-DTPA-Nateglinide as a nuclear medicine imaging agent for evaluating pancreatic B cell function.

METHODS

(1) Distribution of the experiment: Forty-two mice were selected and divided into seven groups. Each mice was injected with 3.7 MBq (100 μCi) of (99m)Tc-DTPA-NGN2 from the vena caudalis and was sacrificed by bloodletting at five minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour, two hours, four hours and six hours, respectively. Then, their tissues and organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, brain, kidneys, bones, small bowels, stomach and pancreas,and blood were collected, weighted, and their radioactivity was tested. Subsequently, the percentage injection dose rate (%ID/g) per gram of tissue was calculated. (2) Imaging experiment: Thirty-five mice were selected and divided into seven groups. Each was injected with 18.5 MBq (100 μCi) of (99m)Tc-DTPA-NGN2 from the vena caudalis and imaging were conducted at the same time as above. (3) Forty-eight Wistar rats were attained and randomly divided into four groups. The first group served as the healthy control group, while the second, third and fourth groups were diabetic model groups induced by intraperitoneally injecting STZ at different doses. Each group was injected with (99m)Tc-DTPA-Nateglinide from the vena caudalis, and radiological evaluations were conducted at 30 minutes, one hour, 1.5 hours and two hours, respectively. The data obtained were estimated using a correlation comparison with the levels of insulin and immunohistochemical count of beta cells.

RESULTS

The (99m)Tc-DTPA-Nateglinide demonstrated good imaging in the pancreases of mice and rats, and was positively correlated to the level of insulin and the number of pancreatic beta cells.

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic beta cell imaging using (99m)Tc-DTPA-Nateglinide may be a method to evaluate pancreatic beta cell function.

Noninvasive Imaging of Islet Transplants with 111In-Exendin-3 SPECT/CT

Islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetic patients. However, there is acute as well as chronic loss of islets after transplantation. A noninvasive imaging method that could monitor islet mass might help to improve transplantation outcomes. In this study, islets were visualized after transplantation in a rat model with a dedicated small-animal SPECT scanner by targeting the glucagonlike peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), specifically expressed on β-cells, with (111)In-labeled exendin-3.

METHODS

Targeting of (111)In-exendin-3 to GLP-1R was tested in vitro on isolated islets of WAG/Rij rats. For in vivo evaluation, 400 or 800 islets were transplanted into the calf muscle of WAG/Rij rats (6-8 wk old). Four weeks after transplantation, SPECT/CT images were acquired 1 h after injection of (111)In-labeled exendin-3. After SPECT acquisition, the muscles containing the transplant were analyzed immunohistochemically and autoradiographically.

RESULTS

The binding assay, performed on isolated islets, showed a linear correlation between the number of islets and (111)In-exendin-3 accumulation (Pearson r = 0.98). In vivo, a 1.70 ± 0.44-fold difference in tracer uptake between 400 and 800 transplanted islets was observed. Ex vivo analysis of the islet transplant showed colocalization of tracer accumulation on autoradiography, with insulin-positive cells and GLP-1R expression on immunohistochemistry.

CONCLUSION

(111)In-exendin-3 accumulates specifically in the β-cells after islet transplantation and is a promising tracer for noninvasive monitoring of the islet mass.

Dosimetry of [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 in rodents, pigs, non-human primates and human - repeated scanning in human is possible

Quantitative PET imaging with [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 has potential use in diabetes and cancer. However, the radiation dose to the kidneys has been a concern for the possibility of repeated imaging studies in humans. Therefore, we investigated the dosimetry of [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 based on the biodistribution data in rats, pigs, non-human primates (NHP) and a human.Organ distribution of [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 in rats (Male Lewis; n=12; 30, 60, and 80 min) was measured ex vivo. The dynamic uptake of [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 in the abdomen was assessed by PET/CT scanning of pigs (male; n = 4, 0-60 min), NHP (Female; cynomolgus; n=3; 0-90 min), and human (female; n=1; 0-40, 100, 120 min).The organ distribution data in each species were extrapolated to those of a human, assuming similar distribution between the species. Residence times were assessed by trapezoidal approximation of the kinetic data. Organ doses (mGy/MBq) and the whole body effective dose (mSv/MBq), was extrapolated by using the OLINDA/EXM 1.1 software. The extrapolated human whole body effective dose was 0.017 ± 0.004 (rats), 0.014 ± 0.004 (pigs), 0.017 ± 0.004 (NHP), and 0.016 (human) mSv/MBq. The absorbed dose to the kidneys was limiting:0.33 ± 0.06 (rats), 0.28±0.05 (pigs), 0.65 ± 0.11 (NHP), and 0.28 (human) mGy/MBq, which corresponded to the maximum yearly administered amounts of 455 (rat), 536 (pig), 231 (NHP), and 536 (human) MBq before reaching the yearly kidney limiting dose of 150 mGy. More than 200 MBq of [(68)Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys(40)-Exendin-4 can be administered yearly in a human, allowing for repeated (2-4 times) scanning. This potentially enables longitudinal clinical PET imaging studies of the GLP-1R in the pancreas, transplanted islets, or insulinoma.