Radiolabeled new somatostatin analogs conjugated to DOMA chelator used as targeted tumor imaging agent: synthesis and radiobiological evaluation.

Several receptor-specific radiopeptides have been developed and effective in the diagnosis of malignant diseases. Among them, somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy with (111)In-DTPA-octreotide has become a tumor diagnostic radiopharmaceutical in nuclear medicine. However, it suffers some drawbacks concerning the imaging properties and elevated radiation burden of (111)In. Here, we report the synthesis of radiolabeled two new octapeptides with improved uptake in SSTR2-positive tumors in comparison with (99m)Tc-HYNIC-Tyr(3)-octreotide (HYNIC-TOC). Octapeptides were synthesized in high yield by Fmoc solid-phase synthesis and coupling the macrocyclic chelator DOMA(1,4,7-Tri-Boc-10-(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazocyclododecane-1-yl-monoacetic acid) to these peptides for (99m)Tc labeling. New peptides DOMA-Asn(3)-octreotate(DOMA-AATE) and DOMA-Pro(3)-octreotate(DOMA-PATE) were purified, characterized by RP-HPLC, MALDI-mass, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR. Labeling was performed by SnCl2 method to get products with excellent radiochemical purity (97 %). Radiopeptides were found to be substantially stable under physiological condition for 24 h. Internalization and receptor-binding studies were determined in somatostatin receptor-expressing C6-glioma cell line and rat brain cortex membrane and the results compared with HYNIC-TOC as standard. The IC50 values of (99m)Tc-DOMA-AATE(1.10 ± 0.48 nM) and (99m)Tc-DOMA-PATE(1.76 ± 0.06 nM) showed high affinity binding for SSTR2 receptor and they internalized rapidly in C6 cells. Biodistribution and imaging studies were performed in C6 tumor-bearing rat under gamma camera showing significant uptake in kidney, urine and C6 tumor. Radiopeptides exhibited fast blood clearance and rapid elimination through the urinary systems. However, (99m)Tc-DOMA-AATE exhibited the highest tumor to muscle and tumor to blood uptake ratios among three. These favorable characteristics validate (99m)Tc-DOMA-AATE as a more promising (99m)Tc-radiotracer than (99m)Tc-DOMA-PATE, (99m)Tc-HYNIC-TOC for SSTR2-positive tumor scintigraphy.