Cited by 297Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and ApplicationsMedical Imaging Techniques and ApplicationsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of 11 C-UCB-J as a PET Tracer for Imaging the Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A in the Brain

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Nabulsi, Nabeel B., Mercier, Joël, Holden, Daniel, Carré, Stephane, Najafzadeh, Soheila, Vandergeten, Marie-Christine, Lin, Shu-fei, Deo, Anand +8 more·2016·Journal of Nuclear Medicine

Abstract

UNLABELLED: The synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) is found in secretory vesicles in neurons and endocrine cells. PET with a selective SV2A radiotracer will allow characterization of drugs that modulate SV2A (e.g., antiepileptic drugs) and potentially could be a biomarker of synaptic density (e.g., in neurodegenerative disorders). Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of the SV2A PET radiotracer (11)C-UCB-J ((R)-1-((3-((11)C-methyl-(11)C)pyridin-4-yl)methyl)-4-(3,4,5-trifluorophenyl)pyrrolidin-2-one) in nonhuman primates, including whole-body biodistribution. METHODS: (11)C-UCB-J was prepared by C-(11)C-methylation of the 3-pyridyl trifluoroborate precursor with (11)C-methyl iodide via the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling method. Rhesus macaques underwent multiple scans including coinjection with unlabeled UCB-J (17, 50, and 150 μg/kg) or preblocking with the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam at 10 and 30 mg/kg. Scans were acquired for 2 h with arterial sampling and metabolite analysis to measure the input function. Regional volume of distribution (VT) was estimated using the 1-tissue-compartment model. Target occupancy was assessed using the occupancy plot; the dissociation constant (Kd) was determined by fitting self-blocking occupancies to a 1-site model, and the maximum number of receptor binding sites (Bmax) values were derived from baseline VT and from the estimated Kd and the nondisplaceable distribution volume (VND). RESULTS: (11)C-UCB-J was synthesized with greater than 98% purity. (11)C-UCB-J exhibited high free fraction (0.46 ± 0.02) and metabolized at a moderate rate (39% ± 5% and 24% ± 3% parent remaining at 30 and 90 min) in plasma. In the monkey brain, (11)C-UCB-J displayed high uptake and fast kinetics. VT was high (∼25-55 mL/cm(3)) in all gray matter regions, consistent with the ubiquitous expression of SV2A. Preblocking with 10 and 30 mg/kg of levetiracetam resulted in approximately 60% and 90% occupancy, respectively. Analysis of the self-blocking scans yielded a Kd estimate of 3.4 nM and Bmax of 125-350 nM, in good agreement with the in vitro inhibition constant (Ki) of 6.3 nM and regional Bmax in humans. Whole-body biodistribution revealed that the liver and the brain are the dose-limiting organs for males and females, respectively. CONCLUSION: (11)C-UCB-J exhibited excellent characteristics as an SV2A PET radiotracer in nonhuman primates. The radiotracer is currently undergoing first-in-human evaluation.

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Crossref · 10.2967/jnumed.115.168179

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • New imaging tools have the potential to identify biomarkers of psychoplastogen efficacy.

    “new imaging tools have the potential to identify biomarkers of psychoplastogen efficacy”

    From Psychedelics and Other Psychoplastogens for Treating Mental Illness. (2021) · cites this paper as [104]

    The Abstract describes 11C-UCB-J PET imaging as a potential biomarker of synaptic density and a way to characterize binding of SV2A-targeting drugs. It does not address psychoplastogens or propose a biomarker of their efficacy; the claim extends the proposed use beyond what this paper states. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Of these, [11C]UCB-J possessed the most suitable pharmacokinetics: rapid and high brain uptake, reversible binding kinetics, and relatively low nonspecific binding in white matter.

    “Of these, [ 11 C]UCB-J possessed the most suitable pharmacokinetics, i.e., rapid and high brain uptake, reversible binding kinetics, and relatively low nonspecific binding in white matter”
  • Three of the SV2A ligands were radiolabeled as [11C]UCB-A, [18F]UCB-H, and [11C]UCB-J, and all were evaluated in nonhuman primates.

    “Three of the SV2A ligands were radiolabeled as [ 11 C] UCB-A [112], [ 18 F]UCB-H [113-116], and [ 11 C]UCB-J [117], and all were evaluated in nonhuman primates (NHP).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [7]7. Kaufman AC, Salazar SV, Haas LT, et al. Fyn inhibition rescues established memory and synapse loss in Alzheimer mice. Ann Neurol. 2015;77:953-971.
  2. [10]10. Cai H, Mangner TJ, Muzik O, Wang MW, Chugani DC, Chugani HT. Radiosyn- thesis of 11 C-levetiracetam: a potential marker for PET imaging of SV2A ex- pression. ACS Med Chem Lett. 2014;5:1152-1155.
  3. [12]12. Lubberink M, Estrada S, Thibblin A, et al. Pre-clinical evaluation and kinetic modelling of 11C-UCB-A as a PET tracer for synaptic vesicle protein 2A. Abstract presented at: The 10th International Symposium on Functional NeuroReceptor Mapping of the Living Brain; May 21-24, 2014, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  4. [13]13. Estrada S, Thibblin A, Johansen P, et al. Synthesis, biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of 11C-UCB-A, a novel PET tracer for synaptic vesicle protein 2A. Abstract presented at: The 10th International Symposium on Functional NeuroReceptor Mapping of the Living Brain; May 21-24, 2014; Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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Authors
Nabulsi, N. B., Mercier, J., Holden, D., Carré, S., Najafzadeh, S., Vandergeten, M.-C., Lin, S.-F., Deo, A., Price, N., Wood, M., Lara-Jaime, T., Montel, F., Laruelle, M., Carson, R. E., Hannestad, J., & Huang, Y.
Affiliations
  • Yale University (US)
  • UCB Pharma (Belgium) (BE)
  • Intra Cellular Therapies (United States) (US)
Venue
Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Published
2016-02-04
Volume
57
Issue
5
Pages
777-784
ISSN
  • 0161-5505 (ISSN-L)
  • 2159-662X
OpenAlex
W2311377444
Cited by
296
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 5
FWCI
14.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Nuclear Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Yale University
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Medical Imaging Techniques and Applications
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
[11C]UCB-J, SV2A, PET radiotracer, radiotracer synthesis, Suzuki coupling, target occupancy, receptor binding, tissue distribution, rhesus monkeys, antiepileptic drugs
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Female, Humans, Macaca mulatta, Male, Membrane Glycoproteins, Permeability, Pyridines, Pyrrolidines, Pyrrolidinones, Radiochemistry, Tissue Distribution, Positron-Emission Tomography, Rats, Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic

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