The synthesis and biological evaluation of integrin receptor targeting molecules as potential radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

This thesis reports on the synthesis, characterisation and biological evaluation of a number of metal complexes designed to interact with the a vB3 integrin receptor, an important biological target that is heavily involved in angiogenesis, and thus cancer related processes. Two approaches were used to synthesise the integrin-avid targets. The first was to attach a variety of bifunctional chelators (BFC's) for the incorporation of different metal centres to a known integrin antagonist, L-748,415, developed by Merck. The BFC's used were the hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC) and monoamine monoamide dithiol (MAMA) systems for coordination to Tc-99m and rhenium of which was used as a characterization surrogate for the unstable Tc core. The 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclotridecanetetraacetic acid (TRITA) BFC was attached for the inclusion of copper and lutetium. This 'conjugate' approach was designed to yield information on how the BFC and the linker length would affect the affinity for the integrin receptor. The second approach was an 'integrated' method where the chelation moiety was integral to the biologically relevant part of the molecule, which in the case of the a vB3 integrin receptor, is the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) mimicking sequence. Two complexes were created with a modified MAMA derivative placed between a benzimidazole moiety (arginine mimick) and the aspartic acid mimicking terminal carboxylic acid to see how it would affect binding while keeping the molecular weight relatively low. The molecules were tested in vitro against purified human a vB3 integrin receptor protein in a solid phase receptor binding assay to evaluate their inhibition constants against a molecule of known high affinity and selectivity in [I125]L-775,219, the I125 labelled a vB3 integrin antagonist. The radiolabelled analogues were also tested in vivo against the A375 human melanoma cell line transplanted into balb/c nude mice as well as Fischer rats implanted with MAT BIII rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells. Animals were imaged on a SPECT camera at various time points and compared to normal tissue to yield tumour/non-tumour uptake ratios.

Date of Award	2008
Original language	English