TY - JOUR A1 - Israel, Ina A1 - Riehl, Gabriele A1 - Butt, Elke A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Samnick, Samuel T1 - Gallium-68-labeled KISS1-54 peptide for mapping KISS1 receptor via PET: initial evaluation in human tumor cell lines and in tumor-bearing mice JF - Pharmaceuticals N2 - Kisspeptins (KPs, KISS1) and their receptor (KISS1R) play a pivotal role as metastasis suppressor for many cancers. Low or lost KP expression is associated with higher tumor grade, increased metastatic potential, and poor prognosis. Therefore, KP expression has prognostic relevance and correlates with invasiveness in cancers. Furthermore, KISS1R represents a very promising target for molecular imaging and therapy for KISS1R-expressing tumors. The goal of this study was to evaluate the developed KISS1-54 derivative, [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54, as a PET-imaging probe for KISS1R-expressing tumors. The NODAGA-KISS1-54 peptide was labeled by Gallium-68, and the stability of the resulting [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 evaluated in injection solution and human serum, followed by an examination in different KISS1R-expressing tumor cell lines, including HepG2, HeLa, MDA-MB-231, MCF7, LNCap, SK-BR-3, and HCT116. Finally, [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 was tested in LNCap- and MDA-MB-231-bearing mice, using µ-PET, assessing its potential as an imaging probe for PET. [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 was obtained in a 77 ± 7% radiochemical yield and at a >99% purity. The [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 cell uptake amounted to 0.6–4.4% per 100,000 cells. Moreover, the accumulation of [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 was effectively inhibited by nonradioactive KISS1-54. In [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54-PET, KISS1R-positive LNCap-tumors were clearly visualized as compared to MDA-MB-231-tumor implant with predominantly intracellular KISS1R expression. Our first results suggest that [\(^{68}\)Ga]KISS1-54 is a promising candidate for a radiotracer for targeting KISS1R-expressing tumors via PET. KW - [\(^{68}\)]KISS1-54 KW - KISS1 receptor KW - GPR54 KW - kisspeptin KW - human tumor cell lines KW - positron emission tomography KW - PET KW - KISS1-54 Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355898 SN - 1424-8247 VL - 17 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michalski, Kerstin A1 - Schlötelburg, Wiebke A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Kosmala, Aleksander A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Hahner, Stefanie A1 - Schirbel, Andreas T1 - Radiopharmaceuticals for treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma JF - Pharmaceuticals N2 - Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) represents a rare tumor entity with limited treatment options and usually rapid tumor progression in case of metastatic disease. As further treatment options are needed and ACC metastases are sensitive to external beam radiation, novel theranostic approaches could complement established therapeutic concepts. Recent developments focus on targeting adrenal cortex-specific enzymes like the theranostic twin [\(^{123/131}\)I]IMAZA that shows a good image quality and a promising therapeutic effect in selected patients. But other established molecular targets in nuclear medicine such as the C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) could possibly enhance the therapeutic regimen as well in a subgroup of patients. The aims of this review are to give an overview of innovative radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of ACC and to present the different molecular targets, as well as to show future perspectives for further developments since a radiopharmaceutical with a broad application range is still warranted. KW - adrenocortical carcinoma KW - theranostics KW - endoradiotherapy KW - IMAZA Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-355901 SN - 1424-8247 VL - 17 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tran-Gia, Johannes A1 - Denis-Bacelar, Ana M. A1 - Ferreira, Kelley M. A1 - Robinson, Andrew P. A1 - Bobin, Christophe A1 - Bonney, Lara M. A1 - Calvert, Nicholas A1 - Collins, Sean M. A1 - Fenwick, Andrew J. A1 - Finocchiaro, Domenico A1 - Fioroni, Federica A1 - Giannopoulou, Katerina A1 - Grassi, Elisa A1 - Heetun, Warda A1 - Jewitt, Stephanie J. A1 - Kotzasarlidou, Maria A1 - Ljungberg, Michael A1 - Lourenço, Valérie A1 - McGowan, Daniel R. A1 - Mewburn-Crook, Jamie A1 - Sabot, Benoit A1 - Scuffham, James A1 - Sjögreen Gleisner, Katarina A1 - Solc, Jaroslav A1 - Thiam, Cheick A1 - Tipping, Jill A1 - Wevrett, Jill A1 - Lassmann, Michael T1 - On the use of solid 133Ba sources as surrogate for liquid 131I in SPECT/CT calibration: a European multi-centre evaluation JF - EJNMMI Physics N2 - Introduction Commissioning, calibration, and quality control procedures for nuclear medicine imaging systems are typically performed using hollow containers filled with radionuclide solutions. This leads to multiple sources of uncertainty, many of which can be overcome by using traceable, sealed, long-lived surrogate sources containing a radionuclide of comparable energies and emission probabilities. This study presents the results of a quantitative SPECT/CT imaging comparison exercise performed within the MRTDosimetry consortium to assess the feasibility of using 133Ba as a surrogate for 131I imaging. Materials and methods Two sets of four traceable 133Ba sources were produced at two National Metrology Institutes and encapsulated in 3D-printed cylinders (volume range 1.68–107.4 mL). Corresponding hollow cylinders to be filled with liquid 131I and a mounting baseplate for repeatable positioning within a Jaszczak phantom were also produced. A quantitative SPECT/CT imaging comparison exercise was conducted between seven members of the consortium (eight SPECT/CT systems from two major vendors) based on a standardised protocol. Each site had to perform three measurements with the two sets of 133Ba sources and liquid 131I. Results As anticipated, the 131I pseudo-image calibration factors (cps/MBq) were higher than those for 133Ba for all reconstructions and systems. A site-specific cross-calibration reduced the performance differences between both radionuclides with respect to a cross-calibration based on the ratio of emission probabilities from a median of 12–1.5%. The site-specific cross-calibration method also showed agreement between 133Ba and 131I for all cylinder volumes, which highlights the potential use of 133Ba sources to calculate recovery coefficients for partial volume correction. Conclusion This comparison exercise demonstrated that traceable solid 133Ba sources can be used as surrogate for liquid 131I imaging. The use of solid surrogate sources could solve the radiation protection problem inherent in the preparation of phantoms with 131I liquid activity solutions as well as reduce the measurement uncertainties in the activity. This is particularly relevant for stability measurements, which have to be carried out at regular intervals. KW - 133Ba KW - Barium-133 KW - 131I KW - radioiodine KW - solid surrogate source KW - quantitative SPECT/CT KW - comparison exercise KW - multi-centre KW - calibration Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357740 VL - 10 ER - TY - THES A1 - Kemmer, Luisa Diana T1 - Darstellung von Inflammation in Atherosklerose mit dem CXCR4-gerichteten PET-Tracer \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor im Vergleich zur \(^{18}\)F-FDG-PET/CT T1 - Imaging inflammation in atherosclerosis with the CXCR4-targeted PET tracer \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor compared to \(^{18}\)F-FDG-PET/CT N2 - Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen zählen zu den häufigsten Todesursachen weltweit. Ein ihr zugrundeliegender pathologischer Prozess ist die Atherosklerose. Die Ruptur eines atheroskelrotischen Plaques kann lebensbedrohlich sein. Derzeit existieren weder ein evaluierter Biomarker noch eine Bildgebungstechnik, die das Risiko einer solchen Plaqueruptur und eines nachfolgenden akuten kardiovaskulären Ereignisses vorhersagen können. Um die bildgebenden Verfahren zur Detektion der Atherosklerose zu optimieren, wurde in dieser Dissertationsarbeit untersucht, ob der PET/CT-Tracer 68Ga-Pentixafor im Vergleich zu 18F-FDG bessere Ergebnisse in der Diagnostik der Atherosklerose erzielen kann. Insgesamt wurden 144 onkologische Patienten in die Studie einbezogen, bei denen die 18F-FDG-PET/CT sowie 68Ga-Pentifaxor-PET/CT aus klinischen Gründen indiziert waren. Befunde, bei denen eine gegenüber dem Hintergrund vermehrte Speicherung ohne physiologische Erklärung nachgewiesen werden konnte, wurden als positiv bewertet. Um Unterschiede zwischen den Patienten außer Acht lassen zu können, wurde die target-to-background-ratio (TBR) berechnet. Zur Beschreibung der Speicherintensität einer Läsion wurde der standardized uptake value (SUV) bestimmt. Nach Auswertung der Daten zeigte sich eine mäßige Korrelation der Anzahl von 68Ga-Pentixafor-positiven Läsionen mit der Anzahl der 18F-FDG positiven Läsionen. Die CXCR4-gerichtete Bildgebung mit 68Ga-Pentixafor identifizierte mehr Läsionen als die 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Bezüglich ihres Verteilungsmusters wiesen die beiden Tracer eine geringe Korrelation auf. Die Aufnahmeintensität beider Tracer korrelierte umgekehrt mit dem Ausmaß der Verkalkung. Stark verkalkte Plaques zeigten die niedrigste Traceraufnahme für beide PET-Tracer. Weitere Studien zur Aufklärung der zugrunde liegenden biologischen Mechanismen und Quellen der CXCR4-Positivität sind in hohem Maße gerechtfertigt. N2 - Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death worldwide. A pathological process underlying these diseases is atherosclerosis. The rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque can be life-threatening. Currently, there is neither an evaluated biomarker nor an imaging technique that can predict the risk of such a plaque rupture and subsequent acute cardiovascular event. To optimize imaging methods for the detection of atherosclerosis, this dissertation investigated whether the PET/CT tracer 68Ga-Pentixafor can achieve better diagnostic results for atherosclerosis compared to 18F-FDG. A total of 144 oncological patients were included in the study, for whom 18F-FDG-PET/CT and 68Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT were clinically indicated. Lesions showing increased uptake compared to the background without physiological explanation were rated as positive. To disregard differences between patients, the target-to-background ratio (TBR) was calculated. To describe the uptake intensity of a lesion, the standardized uptake value (SUV) was determined. After evaluating the data, a moderate correlation was observed between the number of 68Ga-Pentixafor-positive lesions and the number of 18F-FDG-positive lesions. CXCR4-targeted imaging with 68Ga-Pentixafor identified more lesions than 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Regarding their distribution patterns, the two tracers showed a low correlation. The uptake intensity of both tracers inversely correlated with the extent of calcification. Highly calcified plaques exhibited the lowest tracer uptake for both PET tracers. Further studies to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms and sources of CXCR4 positivity are highly warranted. KW - Arteriosklerose KW - Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie KW - Chemokinrezpetor KW - CXCR4 KW - \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor KW - \(^{18}\)F-FDG Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-360013 ER - TY - THES A1 - Heinrich, Marieke T1 - Bildgebung des Prostatakarzinoms im PSMA-PET/CT: Die halbautomatische Quantifizierung des Tumorvolumens zeigt (noch) keine verbesserte Prädiktion des Krankheitsverlaufs T1 - Imaging of prostate cancer in PSMA-PET/CT: Semi-automatic quantification of tumor volume does not (yet) show any improved prediction of disease progression N2 - Die molekularen Parameter PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA im 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT leiten sich ab von MTV und TLG im FDG PET/CT. Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden die Grenzen neuer Autosegmentierungsprogramme durch eine maximale Belastung mit großen Tumorvolumina von Patienten unter taxanbasierter Chemotherapie ausgelotet. Die Programme Syngo.via und FIJI kamen zu vergleichbaren Ergebnissen. Patienten mit einem Gleason Score von 8-10 zeigten unter Therapie eine signifikante Zunahme des PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA im Gegensatz zu Patienten mit Gleason Score 6-7b. Ein hoher PSA-Wert korrelierte zu allen Zeitpunkten signifikant mit einem hohen PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA, ebenso korrelierte ein steigender PSA-Wert signifikant mit steigenden Werten in PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA. Patienten mit einem biochemischen Progress und einem Progress nach modifiziertem PERCIST zeigten vor Therapie ein signifikant höheres PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA als Patienten ohne Progress und unter Therapie eine signifikante Zunahme des PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA im Vergleich zu Patienten ohne Progress. Eine Einteilung des Therapieansprechens aller Patienten in CR, PR, SD und PD nach PSMA-TV, TL-PSMA, PSA-Wert und modifiziertem PERCIST stimmte nicht in allen Patienten überein. Ein signifikant kürzeres Gesamtüberleben zeigten lediglich Patienten mit einem nach dem PSA-Wert definiertem Progress. Im praktischen Vergleich der beiden Programme benötigte Syngo.via für eine komplette Segmentierung signifikant mehr Zeit als FIJI, vor allem da der Wechsel von VOI zu VOI signifikant länger dauerte. Unabhängig vom Autosegmentierungsprogramm dauerte eine komplette Segmentierung länger, je größer das PSMA-TV und das TL-PSMA war, je mehr VOIs das Programm automatisch setzte und je mehr VOIs manuell gelöscht und neu gesetzt wurden. In der Gesamtschau bieten PSMA-TV und TL-PSMA in Kombination mit den sich schnell weiterentwickelnden Autosegmentierungs-Programmen die Möglichkeit, auch sehr hohe Tumorlasten des PCas objektiv und vergleichbar zu beschreiben. N2 - The molecular parameters PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA in 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT are derived from MTV and TLG in FDG PET/CT. The present work explored the limits of new autosegmentation programs with large tumor volumes from patients receiving taxane-based chemotherapy. The programs Syngo.via and FIJI achieved comparable results. Patients with a Gleason score of 8-10 showed a significant increase in PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA during therapy in contrast to patients with Gleason scores 6-7b. A high PSA value was significantly correlated with a high PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA at all time points, and an increasing PSA value was also significantly correlated with increasing values in PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA. Patients with biochemical progression and progression according to modified PERCIST showed a significantly higher PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA before therapy than patients without progression and a significant increase in PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA during therapy compared to patients without progression. A classification of therapy response in all patients into CR, PR, SD and PD based on PSMA-TV, TL-PSMA, PSA value and modified PERCIST was not consistent in all patients. Only patients with progression defined by the PSA value showed a significantly shorter overall survival. In a practical comparison of the two programs, Syngo.via required significantly more time for complete segmentation than FIJI, especially since switching from VOI to VOI took significantly longer. Regardless of the auto-segmentation program, complete segmentation took longer as the PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA increased, and as the program automatically set more VOIs and more VOIs were manually deleted and reset. Overall, PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA in combination with the rapidly developing auto-segmentation programs offer the possibility of objectively and comparably describing even very high PCa tumor burdens. KW - Hormonrefraktärer Prostatakrebs KW - Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie KW - Chemotherapie KW - Tumorvolumen Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-359684 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lisowski, Dominik A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Hasenauer, Natalie A1 - Nickl, Vera A1 - Monoranu, Camelia-Maria A1 - Tamihardja, Jörg T1 - Complete loss of E-cadherin expression in a rare case of metastatic malignant meningioma: a case report JF - BMC Neurology N2 - Background Hematogenous tumor spread of malignant meningiomas occurs very rarely but is associated with very poor prognosis. Case presentation We report an unusual case of a patient with a malignant meningioma who developed multiple metastases in bones, lungs and liver after initial complete resection of the primary tumor. After partial hepatic resection, specimens were histologically analyzed, and a complete loss of E-cadherin adhesion molecules was found. No oncogenic target mutations were found. The patient received a combination of conventional radiotherapy and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Due to aggressive tumor behavior and rapid spread of metastases, the patient deceased after initiation of treatment. Conclusions E-cadherin downregulation is associated with a higher probability of tumor invasion and distant metastasis formation in malignant meningioma. Up to now, the efficacy of systemic therapy, including PRRT, is very limited in malignant meningioma patients. KW - beta-catenin KW - E-cadherin KW - meningioma KW - peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) KW - radiotherapy Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-357996 VL - 23 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janz, Anna A1 - Walz, Katharina A1 - Cirnu, Alexandra A1 - Surjanto, Jessica A1 - Urlaub, Daniela A1 - Leskien, Miriam A1 - Kohlhaas, Michael A1 - Nickel, Alexander A1 - Brand, Theresa A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Wörsdörfer, Philipp A1 - Wagner, Nicole A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Maack, Christoph A1 - Dudek, Jan A1 - Lorenz, Kristina A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Ergün, Süleyman A1 - Duff, Henry J. A1 - Gerull, Brenda T1 - Mutations in DNAJC19 cause altered mitochondrial structure and increased mitochondrial respiration in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes JF - Molecular Metabolism N2 - Highlights • Loss of DNAJC19's DnaJ domain disrupts cardiac mitochondrial structure, leading to abnormal cristae formation in iPSC-CMs. • Impaired mitochondrial structures lead to an increased mitochondrial respiration, ROS and an elevated membrane potential. • Mutant iPSC-CMs show sarcomere dysfunction and a trend to more arrhythmias, resembling DCMA-associated cardiomyopathy. Background Dilated cardiomyopathy with ataxia (DCMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder arising from truncating mutations in DNAJC19, which encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein. Clinical features include an early onset, often life-threatening, cardiomyopathy associated with other metabolic features. Here, we aim to understand the metabolic and pathophysiological mechanisms of mutant DNAJC19 for the development of cardiomyopathy. Methods We generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) of two affected siblings with DCMA and a gene-edited truncation variant (tv) of DNAJC19 which all lack the conserved DnaJ interaction domain. The mutant iPSC-CMs and their respective control cells were subjected to various analyses, including assessments of morphology, metabolic function, and physiological consequences such as Ca\(^{2+}\) kinetics, contractility, and arrhythmic potential. Validation of respiration analysis was done in a gene-edited HeLa cell line (DNAJC19tv\(_{HeLa}\)). Results Structural analyses revealed mitochondrial fragmentation and abnormal cristae formation associated with an overall reduced mitochondrial protein expression in mutant iPSC-CMs. Morphological alterations were associated with higher oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) in all three mutant iPSC-CMs, indicating higher electron transport chain activity to meet cellular ATP demands. Additionally, increased extracellular acidification rates suggested an increase in overall metabolic flux, while radioactive tracer uptake studies revealed decreased fatty acid uptake and utilization of glucose. Mutant iPSC-CMs also showed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an elevated mitochondrial membrane potential. Increased mitochondrial respiration with pyruvate and malate as substrates was observed in mutant DNAJC19tv HeLa cells in addition to an upregulation of respiratory chain complexes, while cellular ATP-levels remain the same. Moreover, mitochondrial alterations were associated with increased beating frequencies, elevated diastolic Ca\(^{2+}\) concentrations, reduced sarcomere shortening and an increased beat-to-beat rate variability in mutant cell lines in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. Conclusions Loss of the DnaJ domain disturbs cardiac mitochondrial structure with abnormal cristae formation and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that DNAJC19 plays an essential role in mitochondrial morphogenesis and biogenesis. Moreover, increased mitochondrial respiration, altered substrate utilization, increased ROS production and abnormal Ca\(^{2+}\) kinetics provide insights into the pathogenesis of DCMA-related cardiomyopathy. KW - cell biology KW - molecular biology KW - dilated cardiomyopathy with ataxia KW - genetics KW - metabolism KW - mitochondria KW - OXPHOS KW - ROS KW - contractility Y1 - 2024 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-350393 SN - 2212-8778 VL - 79 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Weinzierl, Franz-Xaver A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Seitz, Anna Katharina A1 - Kübler, Hubert A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Essler, Markus A1 - Bundschuh, Ralph A. A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. T1 - Matched-pair analysis of [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T and [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - Background Labelled with lutetium-177, the urea-based small molecules PSMA I&T and PSMA-617 are the two agents most frequently used for radioligand therapy (RLT) in patients with advanced metastatic castration-resistant and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expressing prostate cancer (mCRPC). In this matched-pair analysis, we aimed to compare the toxicity and efficacy of both agents for PSMA-directed RLT. Materials and methods A total of 110 mCRPC patients from two centres were accrued, 55 individuals treated with [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T, and a matched cohort of 55 patients treated with [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617. Matching criteria included age at the first cycle, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values, and previous taxane-based chemotherapy. Using common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE v. 5.0), toxicity profiles were investigated (including bone marrow and renal toxicity). Overall survival (OS) between both groups was compared. Results Toxicity assessment revealed grade III anaemia in a single patient (1.8%) for [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T and five (9.1%) for [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617. In addition, one (1.9%) grade III thrombopenia for [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was recorded. Apart from that, no other grade III/IV toxicities were present. A median OS of 12 months for patients treated with [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T did not differ significantly when compared to patients treated with [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 (median OS, 13 months; P = 0.89). Conclusion In this matched-pair analysis of patients receiving one of the two agents most frequently applied for PSMA RLT, the rate of clinically relevant toxicities was low for both compounds. In addition, no relevant differences for OS were observed. KW - PSMA I&T KW - PSMA-617 KW - prostate-specific membrane antigen KW - prostate cancer KW - radioligand therapy KW - matched pair Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-324581 VL - 49 IS - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linz, Christian A1 - Brands, Roman C. A1 - Kertels, Olivia A1 - Dierks, Alexander A1 - Brumberg, Joachim A1 - Gerhard-Hartmann, Elena A1 - Hartmann, Stefan A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Serfling, Sebastian A1 - Zhi, Yingjun A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Kübler, Alexander A1 - Hohm, Julian A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Kircher, Malte T1 - Targeting fibroblast activation protein in newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity – initial experience and comparison to [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT and MRI JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - Purpose While [\(^{18}\)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([\(^{18}\)F]FDG) is the standard for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), diagnostic specificity is hampered by uptake in inflammatory cells such as neutrophils or macrophages. Recently, molecular imaging probes targeting fibroblast activation protein α (FAP), which is overexpressed in a variety of cancer-associated fibroblasts, have become available and might constitute a feasible alternative to FDG PET/CT. Methods Ten consecutive, treatment-naïve patients (8 males, 2 females; mean age, 62 ± 9 years) with biopsy-proven OSCC underwent both whole-body [\(^{18}\)F]FDG and [\(^{68}\)Ga]FAPI-04 (FAP-directed) PET/CT for primary staging prior to tumor resection and cervical lymph node dissection. Detection of the primary tumor, as well as the presence and number of lymph node and distant metastases was analysed. Intensity of tracer accumulation was assessed by means of maximum (SUV\(_{max}\)) and peak (SUV\(_{peak}\) standardized uptake values. Histological work-up including immunohistochemical staining for FAP served as standard of reference. Results [\(^{18}\)F]FDG and FAP-directed PET/CT detected all primary tumors with a SUVmax of 25.5 ± 13.2 (FDG) and 20.5 ± 6.4 (FAP-directed) and a SUVpeak of 16.1 ± 10.3 ([\(^{18}\)F]FDG) and 13.8 ± 3.9 (FAP-directed), respectively. Regarding cervical lymph node metastases, FAP-directed PET/CT demonstrated comparable sensitivity (81.3% vs. 87.5%; P = 0.32) and specificity (93.3% vs. 81.3%; P = 0.16) to [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT. FAP expression on the cell surface of cancer-associated fibroblasts in both primary lesions as well as lymph nodes metastases was confirmed in all samples. Conclusion FAP-directed PET/CT in OSCC seems feasible. Future research to investigate its potential to improve patient staging is highly warranted. KW - molecular imaging KW - fibroblast activation protein KW - head and neck cancer KW - PET Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-307246 SN - 1619-7070 SN - 1619-7089 VL - 48 IS - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Giesel, Frederik L. A1 - Kratochwil, Clemens A1 - Schlittenhardt, Joel A1 - Dendl, Katharina A1 - Eiber, Matthias A1 - Staudinger, Fabian A1 - Kessler, Lukas A1 - Fendler, Wolfgang P. A1 - Lindner, Thomas A1 - Koerber, Stefan A. A1 - Cardinale, Jens A1 - Sennung, David A1 - Roehrich, Manuel A1 - Debus, Juergen A1 - Sathekge, Mike A1 - Haberkorn, Uwe A1 - Calais, Jeremie A1 - Serfling, Sebastian A1 - Buck, Andreas L. T1 - Head-to-head intra-individual comparison of biodistribution and tumor uptake of \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI and \(^{18}\)F-FDG PET/CT in cancer patients JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - Purpose FAPI ligands (fibroblast activation protein inhibitor), a novel class of radiotracers for PET/CT imaging, demonstrated in previous studies rapid and high tumor uptake. The purpose of this study is the head-to-head intra-individual comparison of \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI versus standard-of-care \(^{18}\)F-FDG in PET/CT in organ biodistribution and tumor uptake in patients with various cancers. Material and Methods This international retrospective multicenter analysis included PET/CT data from 71 patients from 6 centers who underwent both \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI and \(^{18}\)F-FDG PET/CT within a median time interval of 10 days (range 1–89 days). Volumes of interest (VOIs) were manually drawn in normal organs and tumor lesions to quantify tracer uptake by SUVmax and SUVmean. Furthermore, tumor-to-background ratios (TBR) were generated (SUVmax tumor/ SUVmax organ). Results A total of 71 patients were studied of, which 28 were female and 43 male (median age 60). In 41 of 71 patients, the primary tumor was present. Forty-three of 71 patients exhibited 162 metastatic lesions. \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI uptake in primary tumors and metastases was comparable to 18F-FDG in most cases. The SUVmax was significantly lower for \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI than \(^{18}\)F-FDG in background tissues such as the brain, oral mucosa, myocardium, blood pool, liver, pancreas, and colon. Thus, \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI TBRs were significantly higher than 18F-FDG TBRs in some sites, including liver and bone metastases. Conclusion Quantitative tumor uptake is comparable between \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI and \(^{18}\)F-FDG, but lower background uptake in most normal organs results in equal or higher TBRs for \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI. Thus, \(^{68}\)Ga-FAPI PET/CT may yield improved diagnostic information in various cancers and especially in tumor locations with high physiological \(^{18}\)F-FDG uptake. KW - FAPI PET/CT KW - FDG PET/CT KW - cancer-associated fibroblast KW - various cancer diseases Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-307252 SN - 1619-7070 SN - 1619-7089 VL - 48 IS - 13 ER -