Efficient formation of inert Bi-213 chelates by tetraphosphorus acid analogues of DOTA: towards improved alpha-therapeutics

Abstract

Background: The recently growing interest in targeted alpha-therapy (TAT) calls for improvement of the labelling chemistry of the corresponding radionuclides. 213BiIII is a short-lived alpha emitter which emits only one alpha particle in its decay chain. Hence, it might be safer in application than other respective nuclides, such as 223Ra or 225Ac, because no alpha-emitting daughters are released upon recoil. We investigated cyclen derivatives with phosphorus-containing pendant arms regarding their suitability for 213Bi labelling. Results: The concentration dependency of 213Bi labelling at 25 °C and 95 °C was determined for DOTP, DOTPH, DOTPEt, and DOTPI, as well as for DOTA and CHX-A"-DTPA for comparison. The labelling efficiency of the phosphorus-containing ligands was at least comparable to CHX-A"-DTPA and exceeded that of DOTA. DOTP was most efficient, requiring chelator concentrations for labelling which were approx. two orders of magnitude lower than those required for CHX-A"-DTPA, both at 25 °C and 95 °C. The 213Bi complexes of phosphorus ligands furthermore showed a higher stability against demetallation (> 96% of intact complex after 120-min incubation in plasma were found for DOTP, DOTPH, and DOTPEt, compared to 85% for DOTA and 76% for CHX-A"-DTPA). Conclusion: Cyclen derivatives bearing four N-methylenephosphonic or -phosphinic acid substituents, e.g., DOTP, are capable of complexing the alpha-emitting radionuclide 213BiIII with higher efficiency and in-vitro stability than the current gold standards DOTA and CHX-A"-DTPA.