Development, synthesis, and 68Ga-Labeling of a Lipophilic complexing agent for atherosclerosis PET imaging

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Atherosclerosis accounts for 50% of deaths in western countries. This multifactorial pathology is characterized by the accumulation of lipids and inflammatory cells within the vascular wall, leading to plaque formation. We describe herein the synthesis of a PCTA-based ⁶⁸Ga³⁺ chelator coupled to a phospholipid biovector 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE), which is the main constituent of the phospholipid moiety of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) phospholipid moiety. The resulting ⁶⁸Ga-PCTA-DSPE inserted into HDL particles was compared to ¹⁸F-FDG as a PET agent to visualize atherosclerotic plaques. Our agent markedly accumulated within mouse atheromatous aortas and more interestingly in human endarterectomy carotid samples. These results support the potential use of ⁶⁸Ga-PCTA-DSPE-HDL for atherosclerosis PET imaging.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; HDL; Imaging agents; Positron emission tomography; Radiochemistry.