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Evaluation of 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-5-methyl-1-β-l-arabinofuranosyluracil ([18F]-l-FMAU) as a PET imaging agent for cellular proliferation: comparison with [18F]-d-FMAU and [18F]FLT

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Abstract

Purpose

Clevudine (l-FMAU) an un-natural analogue of thymidine, is in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV). l-FMAU is phosphorylated by cellular kinases such as thymidine kinase 1 and deoxycytidine kinase, and its triphosphate form inhibits HBV deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. Thus, l-FMAU, radiolabeled with an appropriate isotope, may be useful for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of tumor proliferation. We evaluated [18F]-l-FMAU as a PET imaging agent in tumor-bearing mice and compared the results with those of two other radiotracers, [18F]-d-FMAU and [18F]-FLT.

Methods

Subcutaneous xenografts of the human lung cancer cell lines H441 and H3255 were established in mice. A micro-PET scanner was used to obtain images of the tumor-bearing animals with [18F]-l-FMAU, [18F]-d-FMAU, and [18F]-FLT.

Results

At 2 h postinjection, the tumor uptake (% ID/g) of [18F]-l-FMAU, [18F]-d-FMAU, and [18F]-FLT in the faster-growing H441 cells was 3.13 ± 1.11, 7.74 ± 1.39, and 5.10 ± 1.45, respectively. The corresponding values for the slower-growing H3255 cells were 1.38 ± 0.81, 4.49 ± 1.08, and 0.57 ± 0.33. Tumor/muscle ratios of accumulation for [18F]-l-FMAU, [18F]-d-FMAU, and [18F]-FLT in H441 cells were 4.15 ± 1.82, 3.37 ± 1.19, and 12.94 ± 4.38, respectively, and the corresponding values in H3255 cells were 1.62 ± 0.50, 1.96 ± 0.74, and 1.50 ± 0.90.

Conclusions

[18F]-l-FMAU may be a useful agent for imaging tumor proliferation in fast-growing human lung cancers by PET.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by startup funds from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to Drs. Mian Alauddin and Juri Gelovani.

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Author notes

  1. Ryuichi Nishii

    Present address: PET Imaging Unit, Research Institute of Shiga Medical Center for Adults, Moriyama City, Shiga, 524-8524, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Box 059, T8.3895, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Ryuichi Nishii, Andrei Y. Volgin, Uday Mukhopadhyay, Ashutosh Pal, William Bornmann, Juri G. Gelovani & Mian M. Alauddin

  2. Department of Imaging Physics, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA

    Osama Mawlawi

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Nishii, R., Volgin, A.Y., Mawlawi, O. et al. Evaluation of 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-5-methyl-1-β-l-arabinofuranosyluracil ([18F]-l-FMAU) as a PET imaging agent for cellular proliferation: comparison with [18F]-d-FMAU and [18F]FLT. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 35, 990–998 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-007-0649-1

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