Radiolabeling of PSMA-617 with 89Zr: A Novel Use of DMSO for Radiochemical Yield Enhancement and Preliminary Small-Animal PET Results

Abstract

Introduction Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted ligands, including PSMA-617, have been developed for theranostics of prostate cancer. 68Ga-PSMA-617 is the de facto standard of PSMA Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for imaging in prostate cancer patients prior to radioligand therapy (RLT) with 177Lu-PSMA-617. The dose-limiting toxicity for PSMA-RLT is damage to the kidney. PET scans using 68Ga-PSMA-617 have to be performed within a few hours of injection due to its short half-life (68 min). However, the presence of radioactivity in urine at the PET imaging timepoint hampers the dose optimization of 177Lu (half-life 6.6 d)-labeled PSMA-617. Thus, the long-lived positron emitter 89Zr (half-life 3.3 d) is suited for optimizing the doses of 177Lu-PSMA-617 because PET scans can be performed after excretion of radioactive urine. Although 89Zr has great potential for PET imaging, its inadequate incorporation into 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), limits its applications. Here, we report the radiolabeling of PSMA-617 with 89Zr and preliminary PET imaging studies using 89Zr-PSMA-617. Methods DMSO and HEPES buffer were used to label PSMA-617 with 89Zr. The dissociation constant (Kd) of 89Zr-PSMA-617 was determined using a cell-binding assay. Delayed-PET scans using 89Zr-PSMA-617 were performed at 24 h (N = 5). Results 89Zr-PSMA-617 was prepared with a radiochemical yield of 70 ± 9%. The Kd value was 6.8 nM. In PET imaging, standardized uptake value (SUV) was highest in LNCaP tumors (SUVmax = 0.98 ± 0.32), whereas it was low in kidney (SUVmax = 0.18 ± 0.7). Conclusion The preparation of 89Zr-PSMA-617 was achieved by using the DMSO and HEPES buffer. 89Zr-PSMA-617 visualize the PSMA positive LNCaP tumors without accumulation in bladder. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care The use of 89Zr-PSMA-617 to predict the radiation doses in normal tissues lead to safe and effective RLT with 177Lu-PSMA-617.