Synthesis, Preclinical Evaluation, and First-in-Human PET Study of [<sup>68</sup>Ga]-Labeled Biphenyl-Containing PSMA Tracers
Yimin Chen, Xiaojun Zhang, Ming Ni, Xi Gao, Xinlin Wang, Qiang Xie, Jinming Zhang, Mengchao Cui
Abstract
Radioisotope-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET tracers have gained popularity in diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa). This study aimed to improve the affinity and tumor-targeting capabilities of new PSMA tracers by increasing the number of pharmacophores that specifically bind to PSMA. Using biphenyl as a core scaffold, we investigated the relationship among spacer segments, affinity, and pharmacokinetic properties. In preclinical PET studies on mice with 22Rv1 tumors, compared with [ 68 Ga]Ga- PSMA-11 (SUV max = 3.37), [ 68 Ga]Ga- PSMA-D5 ( K i = 0.15) showed higher tumor uptake (SUV max = 3.51) and lower renal uptake (T/K = 1.84). In the first-in-human study, [ 68 Ga]Ga- PSMA-D5 effectively detected small PCa-associated lesions and distant metastases. The advantages of [ 68 Ga]Ga- PSMA-D5 include high tumor uptake, straightforward synthesis, and labeling, making it a promising PSMA PET tracer. Furthermore, [ 68 Ga]Ga- PSMA-D5 contains a DOTA chelator, allowing convenient labeling with therapeutic radionuclides such as 177 Lu and 225 Ac, providing the potential for targeted radioligand therapy in PCa.