We report the design, testing and in vivo application of pH sensitive contrast agents designed specifically for Cerenkov imaging. Radioisotopes used for positron emission tomography (PET) emit photons via Cerenkov radiation. The multispectral emission of Cerenkov radiation allows for selective bandwidth quenching, where a band of photons are quenched by absorption by a functional dye. Under acidic conditions, 18F-labeled derivatives emit the full spectrum of Cerenkov light. Under basic conditions, the dyes change color and a wavelength-dependent quenching of Cerenkov emission is observed. METHODS Mono and di-18F-labeled derivatives of phenolsulfonphthalein (phenol red) and meta-cresolsulfonphthalein (cresol purple) were synthesized by electrophilic fluorination. Cerenkov emission was measured at different wavelengths as a function of pH in vitro. Intramolecular response was measured in fluorinated probes; intermolecular quenching by mixing phenolphthalein with 18F FDG. Monofluorocresol purple (MFCP) was tested in mice treated with acetazolamide to cause urinary alkalinization and Cerenkov images compared to PET images. RESULTS Fluorinated pH indicators were produced with radiochemical yields of 4-11% at >90% purity. Selective Cerenkov quenching was observed intramolecularly with difluorophenol red or MFCP, and intermolecularly in phenolphthalein 18F-FDG mixtures. The probes were selectively quenched in the bandwidth closest to the indicator’s absorption maximum (λmax) at pHs above the indicator pKa. Addition of acid or base to the probes resulted in reversible switching from unquenched to quenched emission. In vivo, the bladders of acetazolamide-treated mice exhibited a wavelength-dependent quenching in Cerenkov emission, with the greatest reduction occurring near the λmax. Ratiometric imaging at two wavelengths showed significant decreases in Cerenkov emission at basic pH and allowed the estimation of absolute pH in vivo. CONCLUSIONS We have created contrast agents that selectively quench photons emitted during Cerenkov radiation within a given bandwidth. In the presence of a functional dye, such as a pH indicator, this selective quenching allows for a functional determination of pH in vitro and in vivo. This method can be used to obtain functional information from radiolabeled proves using multimodal imaging. It allows for the imaging of non-fluorescent chromophores and is generalizable to any functional dye that absorbs at suitable wavelengths.

We present the synthesis and characterization of F18-labeled fluorinated derivatives of resazurin, a probe for cell viability. The compounds were prepared by direct fluorination of resazurin with diluted [F18]-F2 gas under acidic conditions. The fluorination occurs into the ortho-positions to the hydroxyl group producing various mono-, di-, and trifluorinated derivatives. The properties of the fluorinated resazurins are similar to the parent compound with the addition of fluorine leading to decreased pKa values and a bathochromic shift of the absorption maxima. The fluorinated resazurin derivatives can be used as probes for observation of cell viability in various cells, tissues and organs using a combination of positron emission tomography and direct optical imaging of Cerenkov luminescence.

The near-infrared fluorescent activatable smart probe Pyro-phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn)-QSY was synthesized and observed to selectively fluoresce in the presence of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). PC-PLC is an important biological target as it is known to be upregulated in a variety of cancers, including triple negative breast cancer. Pyro-PtdEtn-QSY features a QSY21 quenching moiety instead of the Black Hole Quencher-3 (BHQ-3) used previously because the latter contains an azo bond, which could lead to biological instability.

New exogenous probes are needed for both imaging diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, we introduce a novel nanocomposite near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging probe and test its potency as a photosensitizing agent for photodynamic therapy (PDT) against triple-negative breast cancer cells. The active component in the nanocomposite is a small molecule, pyropheophorbide a-phosphatidylethanolamine-QSY21 (Pyro-PtdEtn-QSY), which is imbedded into lipid nanoparticles for transport in the body. The probe targets abnormal choline metabolism in cancer cells; specifically, the overexpression of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC–PLC) in breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Pyro-PtdEtn-QSY consists of a NIR fluorophore and a quencher, attached to a PtdEtn moiety. It is selectively activated by PC–PLC resulting in enhanced fluorescence in cancer cells compared to normal cells. In our in vitro investigation, four breast cancer cell lines showed higher probe activation levels than noncancerous control cells, immortalized human mammary gland cells, and normal human T cells. Moreover, the ability of this nanocomposite to function as a sensitizer in PDT experiments on MDA-MB-231 cells suggests that the probe is promising as a theranostic agent.

This paper describes functional fluorinated bioactivatable molecules to study cancer metabolism using Cerenkov imaging. Resazurin (RA), or Alamar Blue, is a commonly used viability dye and redox sensor. Under reductive conditions or by the action of NADH dehydrogenases, RA is reduced into resorufin (RAred), a highly fluorescent molecule. Cold- and radiolabeled monofluorinated resazurin (MFRA) and difluorinated resazurin (DFRA) were synthesized using electrophilic fluorination. The fluorescence of the reduced probes allowed for the detection of Cerenkov Radiation Energy Transfer (CRET). Cerenkov imaging of MFRAred showed a 4-fold increase in signal at 640 nm relative to MFRA, demonstrating the ability to differentiate between oxidized and reduced species via optical imaging. CRET allows the measurement of signal at longer wavelengths closer to the near infrared (NIR) window, ideal for in vivo imaging. MFRA reduction showed different rates in two breast cancer cell lines: MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer, and 4175-Luc+, an aggressive MDA-MB-231 variant, isolated from murine lung metastases. 4175-Luc + cells showed a more rapid reduction of RA and MFRAox than MDA-MB-231 cells. Intratumoral injections of 18F-FDG/MFRA showed a faster reduction of the probe in 4175-Luc + tumors than in MDA-MB-231, suggesting that the metabolic feature observed in the cells is maintained in the tumors. MFRA is a promising probe to determine tumor energy imbalance, reductive environments and assess metastatic potential of tumors. Furthermore, the use of 18F-labeled probes allows for dual modality PET/Cerenkov imaging for probe localization and biodistribution while assessing probe reduction simultaneously.