Novel PET Imaging Probe for Quantitative Detection of Senescence In Vivo

J Med Chem. 2024 Apr 11;67(7):5924-5934. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00179. Epub 2024 Mar 20.

Abstract

Real-time detection of cellular senescence remains a clinical challenge. Here, we aimed to develop a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe targeting senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal), the most widely used biomarker of cellular senescence, and investigate its performance for real-time in vivo quantitative detection of cellular senescence. A stable PET imaging agent [68Ga]Ga-BGal was obtained with a high labeling yield (90.0 ± 4.3%) and a radiochemical purity (>95%). [68Ga]Ga-BGal displayed high sensitivity and specificity for β-Gal both in vitro and in vivo. The reaction and uptake of the probe correlated with the β-Gal concentration and reaction time. In PET imaging, high β-Gal-expressing CT26.CL25 tumors and doxorubicin-treated HeLa tumors showed high signals from [68Ga]Ga-BGal, while a low signal was observed in CT26.WT and untreated HeLa tumors. In summary, we showcased successful PET imaging of senescence in preclinical models using probe [68Ga]Ga-BGal. This finding holds the potential for translating senescence imaging into clinical applications.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Doxorubicin
  • Gallium Radioisotopes*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography* / methods

Substances

  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Doxorubicin