Kit-like 18F-labeling of proteins: synthesis of 4-(di-tert-butyl[18F]fluorosilyl)benzenethiol (Si[18F]FA-SH) labeled rat serum albumin for blood pool imaging with PET

Bioconjug Chem. 2009 Feb;20(2):317-21. doi: 10.1021/bc800413g.

Abstract

Radiosyntheses of 18F-radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET) normally require an extraordinarily high effort of technical equipment and specially trained personnel. We recently reported a novel method for the introduction of fluorine-18 into peptides for PET-imaging based on silicon-18F-chemistry (SiFA technique). We herewith introduce the first SiFA-based Kit-like radio-fluorination of a protein (rat serum albumin,RSA) and demonstrate its usefulness for in vivo imaging with microPET in normal rats as well as in a rat heterotropic transplanted heart model. As a labeling agent, we prepared 4-(di-tert-butyl[18F]fluorosilyl)benzenethiol (Si[18F]FASH)by simple isotopic exchange in 40-60% radiochemical yield (RCY) and coupled it directly to a Sulfo-SMCC derivatized RSA in an overall RCY of 12% within 20-30 min. The technically simple labeling procedure does not require any elaborated purification procedures and is a straightforward example of a successful application of Si-18F chemistry for in vivo imaging with PET.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes / chemistry*
  • Gated Blood-Pool Imaging
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging
  • Organosilicon Compounds / chemical synthesis*
  • Organosilicon Compounds / chemistry
  • Organosilicon Compounds / metabolism*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Rats
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic*
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry*
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism
  • Serum Albumin / pharmacokinetics
  • Staining and Labeling / methods*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • 4-(di-tert-butyl(18F)fluorosilyl)benzenethiol
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Organosilicon Compounds
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Serum Albumin