TY - JOUR A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Lückerath, Katharina A1 - Kleinlein, Irene A1 - Monoranu, Camelia Maria A1 - Linsenmann, Thomas A1 - Kessler, Almuth F. A1 - Rudelius, Martina A1 - Kropf, Saskia A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo A1 - Wester, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Löhr, Mario A1 - Herrmann, Ken T1 - \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT for Imaging of Chemokine Receptor 4 Expression in Glioblastoma JF - Theranostics N2 - Chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) has been reported to be overexpressed in glioblastoma (GBM) and to be associated with poor survival. This study investigated the feasibility of non-invasive CXCR4-directed imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using the radiolabelled chemokine receptor ligand \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor. 15 patients with clinical suspicion on primary or recurrent glioblastoma (13 primary, 2 recurrent tumors) underwent \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT for assessment of CXCR4 expression prior to surgery. O-(2-\(^{18}\)F-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (\(^{18}\)F-FET) PET/CT images were available in 11/15 cases and were compared visually and semi-quantitatively (SUV\(_{max}\), SUV\(_{mean}\)). Tumor-to-background ratios (TBR) were calculated for both PET probes. \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT results were also compared to histological CXCR4 expression on neuronavigated surgical samples. \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT was visually positive in 13/15 cases with SUV\(_{mean}\) and SUV\(_{max}\) of 3.0±1.5 and 3.9±2.0 respectively. Respective values for \(^{18}\)F-FET were 4.4±2.0 (SUV\(_{mean}\)) and 5.3±2.3 (SUV\(_{max}\)). TBR for SUV\(_{mean}\) and SUV\(_{max}\) were higher for \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor than for \(^{18}\)F-FET (SUV\(_{mean}\) 154.0±90.7 vs. 4.1±1.3; SUV\(_{max}\) 70.3±44.0 and 3.8±1.2, p<0.01), respectively. Histological analysis confirmed CXCR4 expression in tumor areas with high \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor uptake; regions of the same tumor without apparent \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor uptake showed no or low receptor expression. In this pilot study, \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor retention has been observed in the vast majority of glioblastoma lesions and served as readout for non-invasive determination of CXCR4 expression. Given the paramount importance of the CXCR4/SDF-1 axis in tumor biology, \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor-PET/CT might prove a useful tool for sensitive, non-invasive in-vivo quantification of CXCR4 as well as selection of patients who might benefit from CXCR4-directed therapy. KW - imaging KW - chemokine receptor-4 KW - glioblastoma KW - positron emission tomography/computed tomography KW - \(^{68}\)Ga-Pentixafor Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-168174 VL - 6 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chen, Xinyu A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Hirano, Mitsuru A1 - Javadi, Mehrbod S. A1 - Robinson, Simon A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Subcellular storage and release mode of the novel \(^{18}\)F-labeled sympathetic nerve PET tracer LMI1195 JF - EJNMMI Research N2 - Background: \(^{18}\)F-N-[3-bromo-4-(3-fluoro-propoxy)-benzyl]-guanidine (\(^{18}\)F-LMI1195) is a new class of PET tracer designed for sympathetic nervous imaging of the heart. The favorable image quality with high and specific neural uptake has been previously demonstrated in animals and humans, but intracellular behavior is not yet fully understood. The aim of the present study is to verify whether it is taken up in storage vesicles and released in company with vesicle turnover. Results: Both vesicle-rich (PC12) and vesicle-poor (SK-N-SH) norepinephrine-expressing cell lines were used for in vitro tracer uptake studies. After 2 h of \(^{18}\)F-LMI1195 preloading into both cell lines, effects of stimulants for storage vesicle turnover (high concentration KCl (100 mM) or reserpine treatment) were measured at 10, 20, and 30 min. \(^{131}\)I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (\(^{131}\)I-MIBG) served as a reference. Both high concentration KCl and reserpine enhanced \(^{18}\)F-LMI1195 washout from PC12 cells, while tracer retention remained stable in the SK-N-SH cells. After 30 min of treatment, 18F-LMI1195 releasing index (percentage of tracer released from cells) from vesicle-rich PC12 cells achieved significant differences compared to cells without treatment condition. In contrast, such effect could not be observed using vesicle-poor SK-N-SH cell lines. Similar tracer kinetics after KCl or reserpine treatment were also observed using 131I-MIBG. In case of KCl exposure, Ca\(^{2+}\)-free buffer with the calcium chelator, ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA), could suppress the tracer washout from PC12 cells. This finding is consistent with the tracer release being mediated by Ca\(^{2+}\) influx resulting from membrane depolarization. Conclusions: Analogous to \(^{131}\)I-MIBG, the current in vitro tracer uptake study confirmed that \(^{131}\)F-LMI1195 is also stored in vesicles in PC12 cells and released along with vesicle turnover. Understanding the basic kinetics of \(^{18}\)FLMI1195 at a subcellular level is important for the design of clinical imaging protocols and imaging interpretation. KW - phaeochromocytoma KW - Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie KW - heart failure KW - sympathetic nervous system KW - storage vesicle turnover KW - positron emission tomography KW - 18F-LMI1195 Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167081 SN - 2191-219X VL - 8 IS - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brumberg, Joachim A1 - Schröter, Nils A1 - Blazhenets, Ganna A1 - Frings, Lars A1 - Volkmann, Jens A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Jost, Wolfgang H. A1 - Isaias, Ioannis U. A1 - Meyer, Philipp T. T1 - Differential diagnosis of parkinsonism: a head-to-head comparison of FDG PET and MIBG scintigraphy JF - NPJ Parkinsons Disease N2 - [\(^{18}\)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and [\(^{123}\)I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy may contribute to the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative parkinsonism. To identify the superior method, we retrospectively evaluated 54 patients with suspected neurodegenerative parkinsonism, who were referred for FDG PET and MIBG scintigraphy. Two investigators visually assessed FDG PET scans using an ordinal 6-step score for disease-specific patterns of Lewy body diseases (LBD) or atypical parkinsonism (APS) and assigned the latter to the subgroups multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), or corticobasal syndrome. Regions-of-interest analysis on anterior planar MIBG images served to calculate the heart-to-mediastinum ratio. Movement disorder specialists blinded to imaging results established clinical follow-up diagnosis by means of guideline-derived case vignettes. Clinical follow-up (1.7 +/- 2.3 years) revealed the following diagnoses: n = 19 LBD (n = 17 Parkinson's disease [PD], n = 1 PD dementia, and n = 1 dementia with Lewy bodies), n = 31 APS (n = 28 MSA, n = 3 PSP), n = 3 non-neurodegenerative parkinsonism; n = 1 patient could not be diagnosed and was excluded. Receiver operating characteristic analyses for discriminating LBD vs. non-LBD revealed a larger area under the curve for FDG PET than for MIBG scintigraphy at statistical trend level for consensus rating (0.82 vs. 0.69, p = 0.06; significant for investigator #1: 0.83 vs. 0.69, p = 0.04). The analysis of PD vs. MSA showed a similar difference (0.82 vs. 0.69, p = 0.11; rater #1: 0.83 vs. 0.69, p = 0.07). Albeit the notable differences in diagnostic performance did not attain statistical significance, the authors consider this finding clinically relevant and suggest that FDG PET, which also allows for subgrouping of APS, should be preferred. KW - clinical diagnosis KW - F-18-FDG PET KW - disease KW - dementia KW - accuracy KW - stimulation KW - guidelines KW - criteria KW - brain KW - risk Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230675 VL - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Heinrich, Marieke A1 - Seitz, Anna Katharina A1 - Brumberg, Joachim A1 - Sokolakis, Ioannis A1 - Kalogirou, Charis A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Kübler, Hubert A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Krebs, Markus T1 - Metabolic Tumour Volume from PSMA PET/CT Scans of Prostate Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy — Do Different Software Solutions Deliver Comparable Results? JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine N2 - (1) Background: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-derived tumour volume (PSMA-TV) and total lesion PSMA (TL-PSMA) from PSMA PET/CT scans are promising biomarkers for assessing treatment response in prostate cancer (PCa). Currently, it is unclear whether different software tools for assessing PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA produce comparable results. (2) Methods: \(^{68}\)Ga-PSMA PET/CT scans from n = 21 patients with castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) receiving chemotherapy were identified from our single-centre database. PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA were calculated with Syngo.via (Siemens) as well as the freely available Beth Israel plugin for FIJI (Fiji Is Just ImageJ) before and after chemotherapy. While statistical comparability was illustrated and quantified via Bland-Altman diagrams, the clinical agreement was estimated by matching PSMA-TV, TL-PSMA and relative changes of both variables during chemotherapy with changes in serum PSA (ΔPSA) and PERCIST (Positron Emission Response Criteria in Solid Tumors). (3) Results: Comparing absolute PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA as well as Bland–Altman plotting revealed a good statistical comparability of both software algorithms. For clinical agreement, classifying therapy response did not differ between PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA for both software solutions and showed highly positive correlations with BR. (4) Conclusions: due to the high levels of statistical and clinical agreement in our CRPC patient cohort undergoing taxane chemotherapy, comparing PSMA-TV and TL-PSMA determined by Syngo.via and FIJI appears feasible. KW - prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) KW - metabolic tumour volume (MTV) KW - total lesion PSMA KW - biomarker KW - software KW - comparability KW - agreement Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205893 SN - 2077-0383 VL - 9 IS - 5 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hänscheid, Heribert A1 - Hartrampf, Philipp E. A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - Intraindividual comparison of [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE and [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-TOC JF - European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging N2 - Purpose The radiolabelled somatostatin analogue [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE binds to albumin via Evans blue, thereby increasing the residence time in the blood and potentially allowing more therapeutic agent to be absorbed into the target tissue during peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. It was tested in selected patients whether the substance is superior to [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-TOC. Methods Activity kinetics in organs and tumours after [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE and [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-TOC were compared intraindividually in five patients with progressive somatostatin receptor-positive disease scheduled for radionuclide therapy. Resuluts In comparison to [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-TOC, tumour doses per administered activity were higher for [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE in 4 of 5 patients (median ratio: 1.7; range: 0.9 to 3.9), kidney doses (median ratio: 3.2; range: 1.6 to 9.8) as well as spleen doses (median ratio: 4.7; range 1.2 to 6.2) in all patients, and liver doses in 3 of 4 evaluable patients (median ratio: 4.0; range: 0.7 to 4.9). The tumour to critical organs absorbed dose ratios were higher after [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-TOC in 4 of 5 patients. Conclusions Prior to a treatment with [\(^{177}\)Lu]Lu-DOTA-EB-TATE, it should be assessed individually whether the compound is superior to established substances. KW - intraindividual comparison KW - DOTA-EB-TATE KW - somatostatin receptor KW - evans blue KW - biokinetics Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-265470 SN - 1619-7089 VL - 48 IS - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Kircher, Stefan A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Kircher, Malte A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Wester, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - CXCR4-directed imaging in solid tumors JF - Frontiers in Oncology N2 - Despite histological evidence in various solid tumor entities, available experience with CXCR4-directed diagnostics and endoradiotherapy mainly focuses on hematologic diseases. With the goal of expanding the application of CXCR4 theranostics to solid tumors, we aimed to elucidate the feasibility of CXCR4-targeted imaging in a variety of such neoplasms. Methods: Nineteen patients with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve solid tumors including pancreatic adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine tumor, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer underwent [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT. CXCR4-mediated uptake was assessed both visually and semi-quantitatively by evaluation of maximum standardized uptake values (SUV\(_{max}\)) of both primary tumors and metastases. With physiologic liver uptake as reference, tumor-to-background ratios (TBR) were calculated. [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor findings were further compared to immunohistochemistry and [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT. Results: On [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT, 10/19 (52.6%) primary tumors were visually detectable with a median SUVmax of 5.4 (range, 1.7–16.0) and a median TBR of 2.6 (range, 0.8–7.4), respectively. The highest level of radiotracer uptake was identified in a patient with cholangiocarcinoma (SUVmax, 16.0; TBR, 7.4). The relatively low uptake on [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor was also noted in metastases, exhibiting a median SUVmax of 4.5 (range, 2.3–8.8; TBR, 1.7; range, 1.0–4.1). A good correlation between uptake on [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor and histological derived CXCR4 expression was noted (R = 0.62, P < 0.05). In the 3 patients in whom [\(^{18}\)F]FDG PET/CT was available, [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor exhibited lower uptake in all lesions. Conclusions: In this cohort of newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with solid malignancies, CXCR4 expression as detected by [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor-PET/CT and immunohistochemistry was rather moderate. Thus, CXCR4-directed imaging may not play a major role in the management of solid tumors in the majority of patients. KW - CXCR4 KW - [68Ga]Pentixafor KW - theranostics KW - solid tumors KW - chemokine receptor Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195678 SN - 2234-943X VL - 9 IS - 770 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Morales-Lozano, Maria I. A1 - Viering, Oliver A1 - Samnick, Samuel A1 - Rodriguez-Otero, Paula A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Marcos-Jubilar, Maria A1 - Rasche, Leo A1 - Prieto, Elena A1 - Kortüm, K. Martin A1 - San-Miguel, Jesus A1 - Garcia-Velloso, Maria J. A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - \(^{18}\)F-FDG and \(^{11}\)C-methionine PET/CT in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients: comparison of volume-based PET biomarkers JF - Cancers N2 - \(^{11}\)C-methionine (\(^{11}\)C-MET) is a new positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for the assessment of disease activity in multiple myeloma (MM) patients, with preliminary data suggesting higher sensitivity and specificity than \(^{18}\)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (\(^{18}\)F-FDG). However, the value of tumor burden biomarkers has yet to be investigated. Our goals were to corroborate the superiority of \(^{11}\)C-MET for MM staging and to compare its suitability for the assessment of metabolic tumor burden biomarkers in comparison to \(^{18}\)F-FDG. Twenty-two patients with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve symptomatic MM who had undergone \(^{11}\)C-MET and \(^{18}\)F-FDG PET/CT were evaluated. Standardized uptake values (SUV) were determined and compared with total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) for both tracers: total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and total lesion \(^{11}\)C-MET uptake (TLMU). PET-derived values were compared to Revised International Staging System (R-ISS), cytogenetic, and serologic MM markers such as M component, beta 2 microglobulin (B2M), serum free light chains (FLC), albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In 11 patients (50%), \(^{11}\)C-MET detected more focal lesions (FL) than FDG (p < 0.01). SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, TMTV, and TLMU were also significantly higher in \(^{11}\)C-MET than in \(^{18}\)F-FDG (p < 0.05, respectively). \(^{11}\)C-MET PET biomarkers had a better correlation with tumor burden (bone marrow plasma cell infiltration, M component; p < 0.05 versus p = n.s. respectively). This pilot study suggests that \(^{11}\)C-MET PET/CT is a more sensitive marker for the assessment of myeloma tumor burden than \(^{18}\)F-FDG. Its implications for prognosis evaluation need further investigation. KW - multiple myeloma KW - methionine KW - total lesion glycolysis (TLG) KW - metabolic tumor volume (MTV) KW - total lesion methionine uptake (TLMU) Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-203686 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 12 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Breun, Maria A1 - Monoranu, Camelia M. A1 - Kessler, Almuth F. A1 - Matthies, Cordula A1 - Löhr, Mario A1 - Hagemann, Carsten A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Wester, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - [\(^{68}\)Ga]-Pentixafor PET/CT for CXCR4-mediated imaging of vestibular schwannomas JF - Frontiers in Oncology N2 - We have recently demonstrated CXCR4 overexpression in vestibular schwannomas (VS). This study investigated the feasibility of CXCR4-directed positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of VS using the radiolabeled chemokine ligand [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor. Methods: 4 patients with 6 primarily diagnosed or pre-treated/observed VS were enrolled. All subjects underwent [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT prior to surgical resection. Images were analyzed visually and semi-quantitatively for CXCR4 expression including calculation of tumor-to-background ratios (TBR). Immunohistochemistry served as standard of reference in three patients. Results: [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT was visually positive in all cases. SUV\(_{mean}\) and SUV\(_{max}\) were 3.0 ± 0.3 and 3.8 ± 0.4 and TBR\(_{mean}\) and TBR\(_{max}\) were 4.0 ± 1.4 and 5.0 ± 1.7, respectively. Histological analysis confirmed CXCR4 expression in tumors. Conclusion: Non-invasive imaging of CXCR4 expression using [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT of VS is feasible and could prove useful for in vivo assessment of CXCR4 expression. KW - vestibular schwannoma KW - CXCR4 KW - PET/CT KW - molecular imaging KW - Pentixafor Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201863 VL - 9 IS - 503 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Derlin, Thorsten A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Sheikbahaei, Sara A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Giesel, Frederik L. A1 - Behr, Spencer A1 - Drzezga, Alexander A1 - Kimura, Hiroyuki A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Bengel, Frank M. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Gorin, Michael A. A1 - Rowe, Steven P. T1 - \(^{18}\)F-labeled, PSMA-targeted radiotracers: leveraging the advantages of radiofluorination for prostate cancer molecular imaging JF - Theranostics N2 - Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging for prostate cancer with \(^{68}\)Ga-labeled compounds has rapidly become adopted as part of routine clinical care in many parts of the world. However, recent years have witnessed the start of a shift from \(^{68}\)Ga- to \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted compounds. The latter imaging agents have several key advantages, which may lay the groundwork for an even more widespread adoption into the clinic. First, facilitated delivery from distant suppliers expands the availability of PET radiopharmaceuticals in smaller hospitals operating a PET center but lacking the patient volume to justify an onsite \(^{68}\)Ge/\(^{68}\)Ga generator. Thus, such an approach meets the increasing demand for PSMA-targeted PET imaging in areas with lower population density and may even lead to cost-savings compared to in-house production. Moreover, \(^{18}\)F-labeled radiotracers have a higher positron yield and lower positron energy, which in turn decreases image noise, improves contrast resolution, and maximizes the likelihood of detecting subtle lesions. In addition, the longer half-life of 110 min allows for improved delayed imaging protocols and flexibility in study design, which may further increase diagnostic accuracy. Moreover, such compounds can be distributed to sites which are not allowed to produce radiotracers on-site due to regulatory issues or to centers without access to a cyclotron. In light of these advantageous characteristics, \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted PET radiotracers may play an important role in both optimizing this transformative imaging modality and making it widely available. We have aimed to provide a concise overview of emerging \(^{18}\)F-labeled PSMA-targeted radiotracers undergoing active clinical development. Given the wide array of available radiotracers, comparative studies are needed to firmly establish the role of the available \(^{18}\)F-labeled compounds in the field of molecular PCa imaging, preferably in different clinical scenarios. KW - Radiofluorine KW - prostate-specific membrane antigen KW - prostate cancer KW - \(^{18}\)F KW - PSMA KW - \(^{68}\)Ga KW - theranostics KW - radioligand therapy Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202559 SN - 1838-7640 VL - 10 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Nogami, Suguru A1 - Koshino, Kazuhiro A1 - Chen, Xinyu A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Kashima, Soki A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Fukuchi, Kazuki A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - [18F]FDG-labelled stem cell PET imaging in different route of administrations and multiple animal species JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Stem cell therapy holds great promise for tissue regeneration and cancer treatment, although its efficacy is still inconclusive and requires further understanding and optimization of the procedures. Non-invasive cell tracking can provide an important opportunity to monitor in vivo cell distribution in living subjects. Here, using a combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and in vitro 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) direct cell labelling, the feasibility of engrafted stem cell monitoring was tested in multiple animal species. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were incubated with phosphate-buffered saline containing [18F]FDG for in vitro cell radiolabelling. The pre-labelled MSCs were administrated via peripheral vein in a mouse (n=1), rats (n=4), rabbits (n=4) and non-human primates (n=3), via carotid artery in rats (n=4) and non-human primates (n=3), and via intra-myocardial injection in rats (n=5). PET imaging was started 10 min after cell administration using a dedicated small animal PET system for a mouse and rats. A clinical PET system was used for the imaging of rabbits and non-human primates. After MSC administration via peripheral vein, PET imaging revealed intense radiotracer signal from the lung in all tested animal species including mouse, rat, rabbit, and non-human primate, suggesting administrated MSCs were trapped in the lung tissue. Furthermore, the distribution of the PET signal significantly differed based on the route of cell administration. Administration via carotid artery showed the highest activity in the head, and intra-myocardial injection increased signal from the heart. In vitro [18F]FDG MSC pre-labelling for PET imaging is feasible and allows non-invasive visualization of initial cell distribution after different routes of cell administration in multiple animal models. Those results highlight the potential use of that imaging approach for the understanding and optimization of stem cell therapy in translational research. KW - biomarkers KW - molecular medicine KW - stem-cell research KW - stem cells Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260590 VL - 11 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Garcia-Velloso, Maria J. A1 - Lückerath, Katharina A1 - Samnick, Samuel A1 - Schreder, Martin A1 - Otero, Paula Rodriguez A1 - Schmid, Jan-Stefan A1 - Herrmann, Ken A1 - Knop, Stefan A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - San-Miguel, Jesus A1 - Kortüm, Klaus Martin T1 - \(^{11}\)C-methionine-PET in multiple myeloma: a combined study from two different institutions JF - Theranostics N2 - \(^{11}\)C-methionine (MET) has recently emerged as an accurate marker of tumor burden and disease activity in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This dual-center study aimed at further corroboration of the superiority of MET as positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for staging and re-staging MM, as compared to \(^{18}\)F-2`-deoxy-2`-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). 78 patients with a history of solitary plasmacytoma (n=4), smoldering MM (SMM, n=5), and symptomatic MM (n=69) underwent both MET- and FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT) at the University Centers of Würzburg, Germany and Navarra, Spain. Scans were compared on a patient and on a lesion basis. Inter-reader agreement was also evaluated. In 2 patients, tumor biopsies for verification of discordant imaging results were available. MET-PET detected focal lesions (FL) in 59/78 subjects (75.6%), whereas FDG-PET/CT showed lesions in only 47 patients (60.3%; p<0.01), accordingly disease activity would have been missed in 12 patients. Directed biopsies of discordant results confirmed MET-PET/CT results in both cases. MET depicted more FL in 44 patients (56.4%; p<0.01), whereas in two patients (2/78), FDG proved superior. In the remainder (41.0%, 32/78), both tracers yielded comparable results. Inter-reader agreement for MET was higher than for FDG (κ = 0.82 vs κ = 0.72). This study demonstrates higher sensitivity of MET in comparison to standard FDG to detect intra- and extramedullary MM including histologic evidence of FDG-negative, viable disease exclusively detectable by MET-PET/CT. MET holds the potential to replace FDG as functional imaging standard for staging and re-staging of MM. KW - medicine KW - PET/CT KW - \(^{11}\)C-methionine KW - multiple myeloma KW - FDG Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-172038 VL - 7 IS - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Marcus, Charles A1 - Sheikhbahaei, Sara A1 - Solnes, Lilja B. A1 - Leal, Jeffrey P. A1 - Du, Yong A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Javadi, Mehrbod S. T1 - Visual and Semiquantitative Accuracy in Clinical Baseline 123I-Ioflupane SPECT/CT Imaging JF - Clinical Nuclear Medicine N2 - PURPOSE: We aimed to (a) elucidate the concordance of visual assessment of an initial I-ioflupane scan by a human interpreter with comparison to results using a fully automatic semiquantitative method and (b) to assess the accuracy compared to follow-up (f/u) diagnosis established by movement disorder specialists. METHODS: An initial I-ioflupane scan was performed in 382 patients with clinically uncertain Parkinsonian syndrome. An experienced reader performed a visual evaluation of all scans independently. The findings of the visual read were compared with semiquantitative evaluation. In addition, available f/u clinical diagnosis (serving as a reference standard) was compared with results of the human read and the software. RESULTS: When comparing the semiquantitative method with the visual assessment, discordance could be found in 25 (6.5%) of 382 of the cases for the experienced reader (ĸ = 0.868). The human observer indicated region of interest misalignment as the main reason for discordance. With neurology f/u serving as reference, the results of the reader revealed a slightly higher accuracy rate (87.7%, ĸ = 0.75) compared to semiquantification (86.2%, ĸ = 0.719, P < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference in the diagnostic performance of the visual read versus software-based assessment was found. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with a fully automatic semiquantitative method in I-ioflupane interpretation, human assessment obtained an almost perfect agreement rate. However, compared to clinical established diagnosis serving as a reference, visual read seemed to be slightly more accurate as a solely software-based quantitative assessment. KW - Single-Photon-Emissions-Computertomographie KW - SPECT KW - Parkinson’s disease KW - Parkinsonism KW - DaTscan KW - 123I-Ioflupane KW - SPECT KW - SPECT/CT Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-168181 SN - 1536-0229 VL - 44 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhou, Xiang A1 - Dierks, Alexander A1 - Kertels, Olivia A1 - Samnick, Samuel A1 - Kircher, Malte A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Haertle, Larissa A1 - Knorz, Sebastian A1 - Böckle, David A1 - Scheller, Lukas A1 - Messerschmidt, Janin A1 - Barakat, Mohammad A1 - Truger, Marietta A1 - Haferlach, Claudia A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Rasche, Leo A1 - Kortüm, K. Martin A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - The link between cytogenetics/genomics and imaging patterns of relapse and progression in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a pilot study utilizing 18F-FDG PET/CT JF - Cancers N2 - Utilizing 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), we performed this pilot study to evaluate the link between cytogenetic/genomic markers and imaging patterns in relapsed/refractory (RR) multiple myeloma (MM). We retrospectively analyzed data of 24 patients with RRMM who were treated at our institution between November 2018 and February 2020. At the last relapse/progression, patients had been treated with a median of three (range 1–10) lines of therapy. Six (25%) patients showed FDG avid extramedullary disease without adjacency to bone. We observed significantly higher maximum standardized uptake values (SUV\(_{max}\)) in patients harboring del(17p) compared with those without del(17p) (p = 0.025). Moreover, a high SUV\(_{max}\) of >15 indicated significantly shortened progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.01) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.0002). One female patient exhibited biallelic TP53 alteration, i.e., deletion and mutation, in whom an extremely high SUV\(_{max}\) of 37.88 was observed. In summary, this pilot study suggested a link between del(17p)/TP53 alteration and high SUV\(_{max}\) on 18F-FDG PET/CT in RRMM patients. Further investigations are highly warranted at this point. KW - radiogenomics KW - 18F-FDG PET/CT KW - multiple myeloma KW - relapse KW - progression KW - pattern Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-211157 SN - 2072-6694 VL - 12 IS - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Kircher, Malte A1 - Hänscheid, Heribert A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Grigoleit, Götz Ulrich A1 - Klinker, Erdwine A1 - Böck, Markus A1 - Samnick, Samuel A1 - Pelzer, Theo A1 - Buck, Andreas K T1 - Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy as a new tool in treatment-refractory sarcoidosis - initial experience in two patients JF - Theranostics N2 - Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology that can involve virtually all organ systems. Whereas most patients present without symptoms, progressive and disabling organ failure can occur in up to 10% of subjects. Somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-directed peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has recently received market authorization for treatment of SSTR-positive neuroendocrine tumors. Methods: We describe the first case series comprising two patients with refractory multi-organ involvement of sarcoidosis who received 4 cycles of PRRT. Results: PRRT was well-tolerated without any acute adverse effects. No relevant toxicities could be recorded during follow-up. Therapy resulted in partial response accompanied by a pronounced reduction in pain (patient #1) and stable disease regarding morphology as well as disease activity (patient #2), respectively. Conclusion: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in sarcoidosis is feasible and might be a new valuable tool in patients with otherwise treatment-refractory disease. Given the long experience with and good tolerability of PRRT, further evaluation of this new treatment option for otherwise treatment-refractory sarcoidosis in larger patient cohorts is warranted. KW - peptide receptor KW - PRRT KW - sarcoidosis KW - somatostatin receptors KW - radionuclide therapy Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158983 VL - 8 IS - 3 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Ueda, Yuichiro A1 - Günther, Katharina A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Javadi, Mehrbod S. A1 - Fukushima, Kazuhito A1 - Edenhofer, Frank A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Metabolic substrate shift in human induced pluripotent stem cells during cardiac differentiation: Functional assessment using in vitro radionuclide uptake assay T2 - International Journal of Cardiology N2 - Background: Recent developments in cellular reprogramming technology enable the production of virtually unlimited numbers of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM). Although hiPSC-CM share various characteristic hallmarks with endogenous cardiomyocytes, it remains a question as to what extent metabolic characteristics are equivalent to mature mammalian cardiomyocytes. Here we set out to functionally characterize the metabolic status of hiPSC-CM in vitro by employing a radionuclide tracer uptake assay. Material and Methods: Cardiac differentiation of hiPSC was induced using a combination of well-orchestrated extrinsic stimuli such as WNT activation (by CHIR99021) and BMP signalling followed by WNT inhibition and lactate based cardiomyocyte enrichment. For characterization of metabolic substrates, dual tracer uptake studies were performed with \(^{18}\)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (\(^{18}\)F-FDG) and \(^{125}\)I-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (\(^{125}\)I-BMIPP) as transport markers of glucose and fatty acids, respectively. Results: After cardiac differentiation of hiPSC, in vitro tracer uptake assays confirmed metabolic substrate shift from glucose to fatty acids that was comparable to those observed in native isolated human cardiomyocytes. Immunostaining further confirmed expression of fatty acid transport and binding proteins on hiPSC-CM. Conclusions: During in vitro cardiac maturation, we observed a metabolic shift to fatty acids, which are known as a main energy source of mammalian hearts, suggesting hi-PSC-CM as a potential functional phenotype to investigate alteration of cardiac metabolism in cardiac diseases. Results also highlight the use of available clinical nuclear medicine tracers as functional assays in stem cell research for improved generation of autologous differentiated cells for numerous biomedical applications. KW - tracer KW - Stammzelle KW - induced pluripotent stem cells KW - cardiomyocytes KW - fatty acid KW - stem cell therapy KW - hiPSC-CM Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-163320 SN - 0167-5273 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffmann, Jan V. A1 - Janssen, Jan P. A1 - Kanno, Takayuki A1 - Shibutani, Takayuki A1 - Onoguchi, Masahisa A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Grunz, Jan-Peter A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Performance evaluation of fifth-generation ultra-high-resolution SPECT system with two stationary detectors and multi-pinhole imaging JF - EJNMMI Physics N2 - Background Small-animal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems with multi-pinhole collimation and large stationary detectors have advantages compared to systems with moving small detectors. These systems benefit from less labour-intensive maintenance and quality control as fewer prone parts are moving, higher accuracy for focused scans and maintaining high resolution with increased sensitivity due to focused pinholes on the field of view. This study aims to investigate the performance of a novel ultra-high-resolution scanner with two-detector configuration (U-SPECT5-E) and to compare its image quality to a conventional micro-SPECT system with three stationary detectors (U-SPECT\(^+\)). Methods The new U-SPECT5-E with two stationary detectors was used for acquiring data with \(^{99m}\)Tc-filled point source, hot-rod and uniformity phantoms to analyse sensitivity, spatial resolution, uniformity and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Three dedicated multi-pinhole mouse collimators with 75 pinholes each and 0.25-, 0.60- and 1.00-mm pinholes for extra ultra-high resolution (XUHR-M), general-purpose (GP-M) and ultra-high sensitivity (UHS-M) imaging were examined. For CNR analysis, four different activity ranges representing low- and high-count settings were investigated for all three collimators. The experiments for the performance assessment were repeated with the same GP-M collimator in the three-detector U-SPECT\(^+\) for comparison. Results Peak sensitivity was 237 cps/MBq (XUHR-M), 847 cps/MBq (GP-M), 2054 cps/MBq (UHS-M) for U-SPECT5-E and 1710 cps/MBq (GP-M) for U-SPECT\(^+\). In the visually analysed sections of the reconstructed mini Derenzo phantoms, rods as small as 0.35 mm (XUHR-M), 0.50 mm (GP-M) for the two-detector as well as the three-detector SPECT and 0.75 mm (UHS-M) were resolved. Uniformity for maximum resolution recorded 40.7% (XUHR-M), 29.1% (GP-M, U-SPECT5-E), 16.3% (GP-M, U-SPECT\(^+\)) and 23.0% (UHS-M), respectively. UHS-M reached highest CNR values for low-count images; for rods smaller than 0.45 mm, acceptable CNR was only achieved by XUHR-M. GP-M was superior for imaging rods sized from 0.60 to 1.50 mm for intermediate activity concentrations. U-SPECT5-E and U-SPECT+ both provided comparable CNR. Conclusions While uniformity and sensitivity are negatively affected by the absence of a third detector, the investigated U-SPECT5-E system with two stationary detectors delivers excellent spatial resolution and CNR comparable to the performance of an established three-detector-setup. KW - small-animal imaging KW - SPECT KW - mouse KW - ollimator KW - post-reconstruction filtering Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230361 VL - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janssen, Jan P. A1 - Hoffmann, Jan V. A1 - Kanno, Takayuki A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Grunz, Jan-Peter A1 - Onoguchi, Masahisa A1 - Chen, Xinyu A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Capabilities of multi-pinhole SPECT with two stationary detectors for in vivo rat imaging JF - Scientific Reports N2 - We aimed to investigate the image quality of the U-SPECT5/CT E-Class a micro single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system with two large stationary detectors for visualization of rat hearts and bones using clinically available \(^{99m}\)Tc-labelled tracers. Sensitivity, spatial resolution, uniformity and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the small-animal SPECT scanner were investigated in phantom studies using an ultra-high-resolution rat and mouse multi-pinhole collimator (UHR-RM). Point source, hot-rod, and uniform phantoms with \(^{99m}\)Tc-solution were scanned for high-count performance assessment and count levels equal to animal scans, respectively. Reconstruction was performed using the similarity-regulated ordered-subsets expectation maximization (SROSEM) algorithm with Gaussian smoothing. Rats were injected with similar to 100 MBq [\(^{99m}\)TcTc-MIBI or similar to 150 MBq [\(^{99m}\)Tc]Tc-HMDP and received multi-frame micro-SPECT imaging after tracer distribution. Animal scans were reconstructed for three different acquisition times and post-processed with different sized Gaussian filters. Following reconstruction, CNR was calculated and image quality evaluated by three independent readers on a five-point scale from 1="very poor" to 5="very good". Point source sensitivity was 567 cps/MBq and radioactive rods as small as 1.2 mm were resolved with the UHR-RM collimator. Collimator-dependent uniformity was 55.5%. Phantom CNR improved with increasing rod size, filter size and activity concentration. Left ventricle and bone structures were successfully visualized in rat experiments. Image quality was strongly affected by the extent of post-filtering, whereas scan time did not have substantial influence on visual assessment. Good image quality was achieved for resolution range greater than 1.8 mm in bone and 2.8 mm in heart. The recently introduced small animal SPECT system with two stationary detectors and UHR-RM collimator is capable to provide excellent image quality in heart and bone scans in a rat using standardized reconstruction parameters and appropriate post-filtering. However, there are still challenges in achieving maximum system resolution in the sub-millimeter range with in vivo settings under limited injection dose and acquisition time. KW - small animal SPECT KW - HMDP hydroxymethylene diphosphonate KW - skeletal KW - quality KW - scanner Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230616 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A1 - Hänscheid, Heribert A1 - Leal, Jeffrey P. A1 - Javadi, Mehrbod S. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro A1 - Lodge, Martin A. A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Rowe, Steven P. T1 - Impact of Tumor Burden on Quantitative [\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATOC Biodistribution JF - Molecular Imaging and Biology N2 - Purpose: As has been previously reported, the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) imaging agent [\(^{68}\)Ga]-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe(1)-Tyr(3)-octreotate ([\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATATE) demonstrates lower uptake in normal organs in patients with a high neuroendocrine tumor (NET) burden. Given the higher SSTR affinity of [\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATATE, we aimed to quantitatively investigate the biodistribution of [\(^{68}\)Ga]-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe(1)-Tyr(3)-octreotide ([68Ga]DOTATOC) to determine a potential correlation between uptake in normal organs and NET burden. Procedures: Of the 44 included patients, 36/44 (82%) patients demonstrated suspicious radiotracer uptake on [\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATOC positron emission tomography (PET)/x-ray computed tomography (CT). Volumes of Interest (VOIs) were defined for tumor lesions and normal organs (spleen, liver, kidneys, adrenals). Mean body weight corrected standardized uptake value (SUV\(_{mean}\)) for normal organs was assessed and was used to calculate the corresponding mean specific activity uptake (Upt: fraction of injected activity per kg of tissue). For the entire tumor burden, SUV\(_{mean}\), maximum standardized uptake value (SUV\(_{max}\)), and the total mass (TBM) was calculated and the decay corrected tumor fractional uptake (TBU) was assessed. A Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlations between normal organ uptake and tumor burden. Results: The median SUV\(_{mean}\) was 18.7 for the spleen (kidneys, 9.2; adrenals, 6.8; liver, 5.6). For tumor burden, the median values were SUV\(_{mean}\) 6.9, SUV\(_{max}\) 35.5, TBM 42.6g, and TBU 1.2%. With increasing volume of distribution, represented by lean body mass and body surface area (BSA), Upt decreased in kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands and SUV\(_{mean}\) increased in the spleen. Correlation improved only for both kidneys and adrenals when the influence of the tumor uptake on the activity available for organ uptake was taken into account by the factor 1/(1-TBU). TBU was neither predictive for SUV\(_{mean}\) nor for Upt in any of the organs. The distribution of organ Upt vs. BSA/(1-TBU) were not different for patients with minor TBU (<3%) vs. higher TBU (>7%), indicating that the correlations observed in the present study are explainable by the body size effect. High tumor mass and uptake mitigated against G1 NET. Conclusions: There is no significant impact on normal organ biodistribution with increasing tumor burden on [\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT. Potential implications include increased normal organ dose with [\(^{177}\)Lu-DOTA]\(^0\)-D-Phe\(^1\)-Tyr\(^3\)-Octreotide and decreased absolute lesion detection with [\(^{68}\)Ga]DOTATOC in high NET burden. KW - somatostatin receptor KW - Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie KW - quantification KW - [68Ga]DOTATOC KW - neuroendocrine tumor KW - SSTR-PET KW - theranostics Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170280 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chen, Xinyu A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Koshino, Kazuhiro A1 - Nose, Naoko A1 - Mühlig, Saskia A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Decker, Michael A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Molecular Imaging-Derived Biomarker of Cardiac Nerve Integrity - Introducing High NET Affinity PET Probe \(^{18}\)F-AF78 JF - Theranostics N2 - Background: Radiolabeled agents that are substrates for the norepinephrine transporter (NET) can be used to quantify cardiac sympathetic nervous conditions and have been demonstrated to identify high-risk congestive heart failure (HF) patients prone to arrhythmic events. We aimed to fully characterize the kinetic profile of the novel \(^{18}\)F-labeled NET probe AF78 for PET imaging of the cardiac sympathetic nervous system (SNS) among various species. Methods: \(^{18}\)F-AF78 was compared to norepinephrine (NE) and established SNS radiotracers by employing in vitro cell assays, followed by an in vivo PET imaging approach with healthy rats, rabbits and nonhuman primates (NHPs). Additionally, chase protocols were performed in NHPs with NET inhibitor desipramine (DMI) and the NE releasing stimulator tyramine (TYR) to investigate retention kinetics in cardiac SNS. Results: Relative to other SNS radiotracers, 18F-AF78 showed higher transport affinity via NET in a cell-based competitive uptake assay (IC\(^{50}\) 0.42 ± 0.14 µM), almost identical to that of NE (IC\(^{50}\), 0.50 ± 0.16 µM, n.s.). In rabbits and NHPs, initial cardiac uptake was significantly reduced by NET inhibition. Furthermore, cardiac tracer retention was not affected by a DMI chase protocol but was markedly reduced by intermittent TYR chase, thereby suggesting that \(^{18}\)F-AF78 is stored and can be released via the synaptic vesicular turnover process. Computational modeling hypothesized the formation of a T-shaped π-π stacking at the binding site, suggesting a rationale for the high affinity of \(^{18}\)F-AF78. Conclusion: \(^{18}\)F-AF78 demonstrated high in vitro NET affinity and advantageous in vivo radiotracer kinetics across various species, indicating that \(^{18}\)F-AF78 is an SNS imaging agent with strong potential to guide specific interventions in cardiovascular medicine. KW - norepinephrine transporter KW - T-shaped π-π stacking KW - nonhuman primates KW - radiotracer kinetics KW - cardiac innervation imaging KW - sympathetic nervous system Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-300685 VL - 12 IS - 9 SP - 4446 EP - 4458 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werner, Rudolf A. A1 - Ordonez, Alvaro A. A1 - Sanchez-Bautista, Julian A1 - Marcus, Charles A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Leal, Jeffrey P. A1 - Lodge, Martin A. A1 - Javadi, Mehrbod S. A1 - Jain, Sanjay K. A1 - Higuchi, Takahiro T1 - Novel functional renal PET imaging with 18F-FDS in human subjects JF - Clinical Nuclear Medicine N2 - The novel PET probe 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-sorbitol (18F-FDS) has demonstrated favorable renal kinetics in animals. We aimed to elucidate its imaging properties in two human volunteers. 18F-FDS was produced by a simple one-step reduction from 18F-FDG. On dynamic renal PET, the cortex was delineated and activity gradually transited in the parenchyma, followed by radiotracer excretion. No adverse effects were reported. Given the higher spatiotemporal resolution of PET relative to conventional scintigraphy, 18F-FDS PET offers a more thorough evaluation of human renal kinetics. Due to its simple production from 18F-FDG, 18F-FDS is virtually available at any PET facility with radiochemistry infrastructure. KW - 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-sorbitol KW - Positronen-Emissions-Tomografie KW - 18F-FDS KW - renal imaging KW - Positron-Emission Tomography KW - split renal function KW - kidney Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174634 SN - 0363-9762 VL - 44 IS - 5 ER -