The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is increasingly recognized as a viable target for imaging and therapy of cancer. We prepared seven 99mTc/Re-labeled compounds by attaching known Tc/Re chelating agents to an amino-functionalized PSMA inhibitor (lys-NHCONH-glu) with or without a variable length linker moiety. Ki values ranged from 0.17 to 199 nM. Ex vivo biodistribution and in vivo imaging demonstrated the degree of specific binding to engineered PSMA+ PC3 PIP tumors. PC3-PIP cells are derived from PC3 that have been transduced with the gene for PSMA. Despite demonstrating nearly the lowest PSMA inhibitory potency of this series, [99mTc(CO)3(L1)]+ (L1 = (2-pyridylmethyl)2N(CH2)4CH(CO2H)-NHCO-(CH2)6CO-NH-lys-NHCONH-glu) showed the highest, most selective PIP tumor uptake, at 7.9 ± 4.0% injected dose per gram of tissue at 30 min postinjection. Radioactivity cleared from nontarget tissues to produce a PIP to flu (PSMA-PC3) ratio of 44:1 at 120 min postinjection. PSMA can accommodate the steric requirements of 99mTc/Re complexes within PSMA inhibitors, the best results achieved with a linker moiety between the ε amine of the urea lysine and the chelator.

To extend our development of new imaging agents targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), we have used the versatile intermediate 2-

Objectives To quantify acute myocardial retention of cardiac-derived stem cells (CDCs) and evaluate different delivery methods using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Background Success of stem cell transplantation for cardiac regeneration is partially limited by low retention/engraftment of the delivered cells. A clinically applicable method for accurate quantification of cell retention would enable optimization of cell delivery. Methods CDCs derived from syngeneic, male Wistar Kyoto (WK) rats were labeled with 18FDG and injected intramyocardially into the ischemic region of female WK rats following permanent left coronary artery ligation. The effects of fibrin glue, bradycardia (adenosine) and cardiac arrest were examined. 18FDG PET was performed for quantification of cell retention. Quantitative PCR for the male-specific SRY gene was performed to validate the PET results. Results Myocardial retention of cells suspended in PBS 1 hr after delivery was 17.6±11.5% by PCR and 17.8±7.3% by PET. When CDCs were injected immediately following induction of cardiac arrest, retention was increased to 75.6±18.6%. Adenosine slowed the ventricular rate and doubled CDC retention (35.4±5.3%). A similar increase in CDC retention was observed following epicardial application of fibrin glue at the injection site (37.5±8.2%). PCR revealed a significant increase in 3 week cell engraftment in the fibrin glue animals (22.1±18.6% vs 5.3±3.1%, for fibrin glue and PBS respectively). Conclusions In vivo PET permits accurate measurement of CDC retention early after intramyocardial delivery. Sealing injection sites with fibrin glue or lowering ventricular rate by adenosine may be clinically translatable methods for improving stem cell engraftment in a beating heart.

Gallium-68 is a generator-produced radionuclide for positron emission tomography (PET) that is being increasingly used for radiolabeling of tumor-targeting peptides. Compounds [68Ga]3 and [68Ga]6 are high-affinity, urea-based inhibitors of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) that were synthesized in decay-uncorrected yields ranging from 60 – 70% and radiochemical purities of more than 99%. Compound [68Ga]3 demonstrated 3.78 ± 0.90 percent injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) within PSMA+ PIP tumor at 30 min post-injection, while [68Ga]6 showed a two hour PSMA+ PIP tumor uptake value of 3.29 ± 0.77%ID/g. Target (PSMA+ PIP) to non-target (PSMA− flu) ratios were 4.6 and 18.3, respectively, at those time points. Both compounds delineated tumor clearly by small animal PET. The urea series of imaging agents for PSMA can be radiolabeled with 68Ga, a cyclotron-free isotope useful for clinical PET studies, with maintenance of target specificity.