The development of a synthetic method of radiolabelled methylphosphono-fluoridates on a milligram scale is presented. The aim of this method is, besides affording high yield, to choose reaction pathways and reagents so that handling and transfer of labelled toxic substances is minimised, thereby reducing the risk of exposure as much as possible. The only substituent that is stable enough to be labelled is the methyl group, directly bonded to phosphorus. A drawback when labelling the methyl group is that it requires the label to be introduced early in the synthesis since the carbon-phosphorus bond of the methyl substituent usually has to be synthesized a few steps ahead of the final product. Two new classes of reagents for halogenation of phosphorus oxyacids have been developed. Firstly, four different analogues of α-chloroenamines and α-fluoroenamines were evaluated. Secondly, cyanuric fluoride was assessed in solution, but more importantly, as a resin-bound reagent. The reagents are evaluated for halogenation of phosphinic, phosphonic and phosphoric acids. Cyanuric fluoride is also successfully loaded on a polystyrene resin and used as a solid-phase reagent. The reagents produce high yields and low levels of impurities on a milligram scale. Furthermore, a new method for the preparation of mono-alkylated phosphonic acids on a small scale has been developed. The new method utilises the crystal water bound to certain salts to liberate limited amounts of water in a controlled manner. Phosphonic dichlorides are in this way reacted with water to form anhydrides. The anhydride is then cleaved with an appropriate alcohol to produce mono-alkylated phosphonic acids. / Rikard Norlin = Rikard Wärme

The fluorinase enzyme, originally isolated from Streptomyces cattleya, has the unique ability to generate a C–F bond from aqueous fluoride ion and S-adenosylmethionine, making the fluorinase an attractive biochemical tool for radiolabelling biomolecules with fluorine-18 for application to positron emission tomography (PET). The inherent substrate specificity of the enzyme is, however, limiting, as only small modifications to the natural nucleoside substrate were known to be tolerated. This thesis describes an exploration and expansion of the substrate scope of the fluorinase enzyme, and its application to radiolabelling biomolecules for PET. The design and synthesis of a novel acetylene bearing substrate for the fluorinase, 5'-chloro-5'-deoxy-2-ethynyladenosine (ClDEA) is described. ClDEA proved an excellent substrate for the fluorinase, and the kinetics of the transformation and binding affinities of the new substrate and product were investigated. The fluorinated acetylenic product was demonstrated to undergo a copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction with an azide bearing RGD peptide, and this methodology was investigated for the synthesis of a novel fluorine-18-bearing prosthetic group for the synthesis of a radiolabelled RGD peptide, which was assessed in vivo in a rat. After the demonstration that the fluorinase can be used for “last step” radiolabelling of bioactive peptides, the synthesis of dimeric and tetrameric RGD-bearing substrates for the fluorinase was investigated. These large constructs underwent efficient enzymatic fluorination, and the fluorinated products showed increased binding affinity to their targets, compared to monomeric analogues. The challenges encountered during radiolabelling of these multimers with fluorine-18 using the fluorinase are discussed. A difluoromethyl-bearing nucleoside substrate (F₂DA) was synthesised as a potential substrate in the reverse direction for the fluorinase, to further probe the substrate specificity if the fluorinase. Upon incubation with the enzyme, F₂DA did not appear to undergo reaction, despite the demonstration that F₂DA binds to the enzyme. Finally, the optimisation of a fluorinase-based protocol for the synthesis of the PET radiotracer [¹⁸F]fluoroacetate is described. The enzymatic method proved unsuitable for a small animal study due to contamination of the final product, and a chemical method was investigated and optimised as an alternative approach. [¹⁸F]Fluoroacetate synthesised using the developed chemical method was employed in an in vivo evaluation of acetyl CoA synthetase (ACSS2) activity in healthy and tumour-bearing mouse models, in an study to assess the activity of ACSS2 in breast and colon cancer models in mice.

This thesis focuses on the development of a novel nucleophilic ¹⁸F-fluorination of (hetero)arenes and of a rapid screening experiment to facilitate the application of this reaction to complex heterocyclic targets of medicinal importance. <strong>Chapter 1</strong> introduces the use of molecules labelled with fluorine-18 as tracers in positron emission tomography and reviews methods for the preparation of [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes published prior to the start of the work in this thesis. <strong>Chapter 2</strong> describes the development of a novel method for the preparation of electronically-diverse [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes from aryl boronic esters and [¹⁸F]fluoride, mediated by a copper complex. Application of this ¹⁸F-fluorodeboronation to electron-rich radiotracers is demonstrated. Methods for the preparation of [¹⁸F]fluoroarenes published after the start of the work in this thesis are reviewed. <strong>Chapter 3</strong> outlines a rapid screening experiment for assessing the tolerance of the ¹⁸F-fluorodeboronation towards heterocycles, and the use of this method to guide the retro-radiosynthesis of heterocycle-rich, medicinally relevant molecules. <strong>Chapter 4</strong> contains synthetic procedures and characterisation data for compounds in Chapters 2 and 3.

Charles University Fakulty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Candidate: Bc. Barbora Parýzková Supervisor: Mgr. Pavel Bárta, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Radiolabelled receptor-specific peptides for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The presented diploma thesis is based on literature review and it deals with receptor- specific radioactive labeled peptides and their usage in the cancer diagnostic and treatment. It focuses on general knowledge about radiopharmaceuticals, further on the descriptions of either diagnostic or therapeutic radionuclides as well as on currently used chelating agents. The particular attention is paid to peptides like somatostatin and cholecystokinin and their usability in Nuclear Medicine for the imaging and treatment of certain malignancies. The other stated peptides in this diploma thesis are bombesin, vasoactive intestinal peptide and alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone. Keywords: receptor-specific peptides, radiolabelling, radionuclides for diagnosis and therapy, radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics, octreotide.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that allows visualisation and quantification of biochemical, physiological and pharmacological processes in living subjects. This is achieved through application of radiotracers – compounds labelled with positron emitting radionuclides. Neurodegeneration is the progressive loss of neurons resulting in impairment of brain function leading to cognitive decline and can affect movement. The underlying pathology of many neurodegenerative diseases is misfolding of proteins such as α-synuclein, the key pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. Also implicated in the processes of neurodegeneration is neuroinflammation, which is observed by the activation of microglia – the immune cells of the brain. Activation of microglia is associated with the upregulation of the 18 kDa mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO). This work has involved the synthesis and characterisation of novel compounds that have the potential for being applied as radiotracers for imaging α-synuclein fibrils (project 1), or TSPO (project 2) via PET. Over the course of project 1 a library of compounds was synthesised based upon structural modifications of a lead structure identified from the literature. These compounds then underwent screening via biophysical methodologies in order to determine their affinity to α-synuclein fibrils. This stage of the work involved the development of a novel biophysical technique – microscale thermophoresis (MST). A general automated radiosynthetic method to afford the [18F]fluoro-derivatives of these compounds has also been developed, and preliminary in vitro autoradiography studies and an in vivo microPET scan has been performed. For project 2, an automated radiosynthetic method was developed to produce [18F]GE387, a lead compound identified through collaboration with GE Healthcare. This radiotracer has then been applied to preliminary in vitro autoradiography and an in vivo microPET study using rats with induced neuroinflammation alongside control rats.

Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Student: Klaudia Sabolová Supervisor: Mgr. Pavel Bárta, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: The preparation and the following in vitro saturation study of the radiopharmaceutical 99m Tc-DTPA-ramucirumab on PC-3 cell line In cancer treatment, immunology is given prominence, which compared with chemotherapy and radiotherapy has a lower risk of side effects on healthy tissues. Immunotherapy includes application of monoclonal antibodies aimed at some tumour antigens using either non conjugated monoclonal antibodies or conjugated ones with an appropriate effector element, such as radionuclide. Angiogenesis plays the important role in pathogenesis of tumour diseases. Angiogenic process is regulated mostly by the interactions among vascular growth factors (VEGFs) and VEGF receptors (VEGFR). The main regulator of angiogenesis is VEGF-A. The blocking of the interaction among VEGF-A and its receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 inhibits angiogenesis, and so does the growth of tumours. Ramucirumab is the monoclonal antibody with antiangiogenic effect, which blocks this interaction by its binding to the extracellular VEGFR-2 domain with high affinity. The presented study is focused on ramucirumab...

<p>This project is undergoing the patent application, so it is confidential and should not be disclosed. Further questions can be asked by contacting Dr. Jeroen Goos, whose contact information was shown in the supervisor section.</p>

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Biophysics and Physical Chemistry Student: Nikola Holodňáková Supervisor: Mgr. Pavel Bárta, Ph.D. Name of the work: In vitro saturation study of gallium-67 and zirconium-89 labelled monoclonal antibody ramucirumab on SKOV-3 cell line. Targeted biological treatment becomes more and more important with the development of a new therapy in oncology. It stimulates immune system to eliminate cancer cells. Significant progress has been made since the introduction of monoclonal antibodies. They represent one of the newest possibility used in diagnosis and treatment of tumours. The ability of the monoclonal antibody ramucirumab is to recognize and bind specifically to tumour cell antigens such as the VEGF type 2 receptor (VEGFR-2) and thus to supress angiogenic process. Anti-angiogenic ramucirumab inhibits this receptor via blocking of VEGF binding sites, which prevents the growth of tumours. It is possible to increase antitumor effect of monoclonal antibodies by their combination with other molecules like radionuclides, toxins and cytostatics when forming the so called conjugates. Prepared immunoconjugates serve as diagnostic and therapeutic tools also in Nuclear Medicine. The aim of the experimental work in was the preparation of...

Conception et synthèse de nouveaux Bambusurils pour des applications en biologie et en imagerie moléculaire. Les bambusurils, R₈BU[4] et R₁₂BU[6], sont des molécules cages synthétiques, constituées respectivement de 4 et 6 unités glycolurils. Ils diffèrent des cucurbiturils par la présence de glycolurils difonctionnalisés qui leur confèrent une topologie de type alternée et des propriétés supramoléculaires intéressantes. Les R₁₂BU[6] ont la capacité d’encapsuler un anion à l'intérieur de leur cavité avec une très grande affinité grâce à 12 liaisons hydrogènes. Au laboratoire, des bambusurils disposant de groupements allyles nommés Allyl₈BU[4] et Allyl₁₂BU[6] ont été synthétisés. Ils ont ensuite été fonctionnalisés par réactions de métathèse croisée et de thiol-ène click pour introduire facilement 8 à 12 thiols d'intérêts possédant des groupements esters, acides ou glycosides. Pour élargir la famille des bambusurils, de nouveaux bambusurils possédant des fonctions propargyliques ont été préparés. Ainsi, les Propargyl₈BU[4] et Propargyl₁₂BU[6] ont été obtenus avec de bons rendements. Ces bambusurils ont ensuite été post-fonctionnalisés avec différents azotures (esters, benzyl, glycosides, peptides) par réaction de chimie click pour conduire à de nouvelles plateformes multivalentes de valence 8 pour le BU[4] et 12 pour le BU[6]. Des glycoBUs fonctionnalisés par des dérivés du D-mannose ont été synthétisés pour la première fois, et leur activité antibactérienne a été évaluée. De plus, des iminosucres de la famille de la déoxynojirimycine azidoalkylée, ont également été greffés sur les PropargylBUs, pour conduire à de nouveaux inhibiteurs de glycosidases. Le squelette des bambusurils et la multivalence conduisent à des gains d'affinité importants par rapport aux analogues glycosides monovalents.L'affinité des R₁₂BU[6], hydrosolubles, a été évaluée pour les ions iodures par titration calorimétrique isotherme. Les résultats obtenus confirment la grande affinité des BU[6] pour cet anion dans l'eau (Ka ≃ 10⁵ M⁻¹).Une dernière application des bambusurils comme sonde d'imagerie a également été étudiée. Un nouveau bambusuril différemment substitué a été conçu et synthétisé pour permettre l'introduction d'une sonde bimodale TEP/Optique en dernière étape de synthèse. Cette sonde permettra la combinaison d'un double diagnostic médical par imagerie TEP et optique. Une preuve de concept a été réalisée avec l'introduction d'un groupement radiomarqué au ¹⁸F. / Design and synthesis of new Bambusurils for biological applications and molecular imagingBambus[n]urils, R₈BU[4] and R₁₂BU[6], are synthetic cyclic macromolecules that belong to the cucurbit[n]urils families. They are composed of n-substituted glycoluril units connected via n-methylene bridges. The R₁₂BU[6], are able to bind anion inside their cavity with a good association constant through hydrogen bonds.In our laboratory, bambusurils bearing allyl functions, named Allyl₈BU[4] and Allyl₁₂BU[6], were efficiently prepared. These bambusurils were functionalized by ring-closing metathesis or thiol-ene click coupling to introduce 1 to 12 functions like ester, acids and glycosides.To develop the family of bambusurils, new bambusurils with propargyl functions were synthesized. The synthesis of the Propargyl₈BU[4] and Propargyl₁₂BU[6] were optimized. Theses BUs were functionalized by click chemistry with different azides like ester, benzyl and glycoside to dispose of new multivalent systems with a valency of 8 for the BU[4] and 12 for the BU[6]. For the first time, glycoBambusurils functionalized with D-mannose derivatives were prepared, and their antibacterial activities were assayed. Moreover, iminosugar from the family of the azido alkylated déoxynojirimycine, were grafted on the PropargylBUs to afford new inhibitors of glycosidases. These results show the importance of bambusuril scaffold and of the multivalence effect improve the affinity of the glycoBUs for the target.The association constants of R₁₂BU[6] functionalized, soluble in aqueous media for iodide were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. The results show a good affinity of R12BU[6] for iodide (Ka ≃ 10⁵ M⁻¹).We studied as well an application of bambusuril for molecular imaging. A new bambusuril with biological ligands was designed and synthesized to introduce a bimodal probe PET/Optical in the last step. This probe will allow the combination of clinical diagnostic with PET and optical imaging. A proof of concept was realized with a function ¹⁸F labelled.

<p>The positron emitting radionuclide ⁶⁸Ga (T_1/2 = 68 min) might become of practical interest for clinical positron emission tomography (PET). The metallic cation, ⁶⁸Ga(III), is suitable for complexation with chelators, either naked or conjugated with biological macromolecules. Such labelling procedures require pure and concentrated preparations of ⁶⁸Ga(III), which cannot be sufficiently fulfilled by the presently available ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generator eluate. This thesis presents methods to increase the concentration and purity of ⁶⁸Ga obtained from a commercial ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generator. The use of the preconcentrated and purified ⁶⁸Ga eluate along with microwave heating allowed quantitative ⁶⁸Ga-labelling of peptide conjugates within 15 min. The specific radioactivity of the radiolabelled peptides was improved considerably compared to previously applied techniques using non-treated generator eluate and conventional heating. A commercial ⁶⁸Ge/⁶⁸Ga generator in combination with the method for preconcentration/purification and microwave heated labelling might result in an automated device for ⁶⁸Ga-based radiopharmaceutical kit production with quantitative incorporation of ⁶⁸Ga(III).</p><p>Macromolecules were labelled with ⁶⁸Ga(III) either directly or via a chelator. The bifunctional chelator, DOTA, was conjugated in solution to peptides, an antibody and oligonucleotides. The peptides had varied pI values, constitution, and length ranging from 8 to 53 amino acid residues. The oligonucleotides were of various sequences and length with modifications in backbone, sugar moiety and both 3' and 5' ends with a molecular weight up to 9.8 kDa. The bioconjugates were labeled with ⁶⁸Ga(III), and the resulting tracers were characterised chemically and biologically. The identity of the ⁶⁸Ga-labelled bioconjugates was verified. The tracers were found to be stable and their biological activity maintained. Specific radioactivity was shown to be an important parameter influencing the feasibility of accurate imaging data quantification.</p><p>Furthermore, ⁶⁸Ga-labelled peptide imaging was shown to be a useful tool to study peptide adsorption to microstructures in a chemical analysis device.</p>