An one-pot two-step automated synthesis of [18F]T807 injection, its biodistribution in mice and monkeys, and a preliminary study in humans

PLoS One. 2019 Jul 1;14(7):e0217384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217384. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

[18F]T807 is a potent tau protein imaging agent. In order to fulfill the demand from preclinical and clinical studies, we developed an automated one-pot two-step synthesis of this potent tau imaging agent and studied its stability, and dosimetry in mice and monkeys. We also conducted a preliminary study of this imaging agent in humans. Using this one-pot two-step method, the radiochemical yield (RCY) of [18F]T807 was 20.5 ± 6.1% (n = 15) at the end of bombardment (EOB) in a synthesis time of 70±5 min. The chemical and radiochemical purities were >90% and the specific activities were 151 ± 52 GBq/μmol. The quality of [18F]T807 synthesized by this method met the U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP) criteria. The stability test showed that the [18F]T807 injection was stable at room temperature for up to 4 h after the end of synthesis (EOS). The estimated effective dose of the [18F]T807 injection extrapolated from monkeys was 19 μSv/MBq (n = 2), while the estimated effective doses of the [18F]T807 injection extrapolated from fasted and non-fasted mice were 123 ± 27 (n = 3) and 94 ± 19 (n = 4) μSv/MBq, respectively. This one-pot two-step automated method produced the [18F]T807 injection with high reproducibility and high quality. PET imaging and radiation dosimetry evaluation in mice and Formosan rock monkeys suggested that the [18F]T807 injection synthesized by this method is suitable for use in human PET imaging studies. Thus, this method could fulfill the demand for the [18F]T807 injection in both preclinical and clinical studies of tauopathies, especially for nearby study sites without cyclotrons.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Animals
  • Biological Availability
  • Carbolines / blood
  • Carbolines / chemical synthesis*
  • Carbolines / pharmacokinetics
  • Contrast Media / chemical synthesis*
  • Contrast Media / pharmacokinetics
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • Gene Expression
  • Haplorhini
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intravenous
  • Macaca
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Radiometry
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / blood
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / chemical synthesis*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
  • Tissue Distribution
  • tau Proteins / chemistry*
  • tau Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Carbolines
  • Contrast Media
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • tau Proteins
  • 7-(6-fluoropyridin-3-yl)-5H-pyrido(4,3-b)indole

Supplementary concepts

  • Macaca cyclopis

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH 108-A133 and NTUH 108-S4177) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 108-2321-B-002-002 – and MOST 107-2314-B-002- MY2).