A known chemotype of H3 receptor ligand was explored for development of a radioligand for imaging brain histamine subtype 3 (H3) receptors in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET), namely non-imidazole 2-aminoethylbenzofurans, represented by the compound (R)-(2-(2-(2-methylpyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl)benzofuran-5-yl)(4-fluorophenyl)methanone (9). Compound 9 was labeled with fluorine-18 (t1/2= 109.7 min) in high specific activity by treating the prepared nitro analog (12) with cyclotron-produced [18F]fluoride ion. [18F]9 was studied with PET in mouse and in monkey after intravenous injection. [18F]9 showed favorable properties as a candidate PET radioligand, including moderately high brain uptake with a high proportion of H3 receptor-specific signal in the absence of radiodefluorination. The nitro compound 12 was found to have even higher H3 receptor affinity, indicating the potential of this chemotype for the development of further promising PET radioligands.

The structure of the potent selective mGlu5 ligand, SP203 (1, 3-fluoro-5-[[2-(fluoromethyl)thiazol-4-yl]ethynyl]benzonitrile), was modified by replacing the 2-fluoromethyl substituent with an amino or halo substituent and by variation of substituents in the distal aromatic ring to provide a series of new high-affinity mGlu5 ligands. In this series, among the most potent ligands obtained, the 2-chloro-thiazoles 7a and 7b and the 2-fluorothiazole 10b showed sub-nanomolar mGlu5 affinity. 10b also displayed >10,000-fold selectivity over all other metabotropic receptor subtypes plus a wide range of other receptors and binding sites. The 2-fluorothiazoles 10a and 10b were labeled using [18F]fluoride ion (t1/2 = 109.7 min) in moderately high radiochemical yield to provide potential radioligands that may resist troublesome radiodefluorination during the imaging of brain mGlu5 with position emission tomography. The iodo compound 9b has nanomolar affinity for mGlu5 and may also serve as a lead to a potential 123I-labeled ligand for imaging brain mGlu5 with single photon emission computed tomography.

Positron emission tomography (PET) coupled to an effective radioligand could provide an important tool for understanding possible links between neuropsychiatric disorders and brain NOP (nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide) receptors. We sought to develop such a PET radioligand. High-affinity NOP ligands were synthesized based on a 3-(2'-fluoro-4',5'-dihydrospiro[piperidine-4,7'-thieno[2,3-c]pyran]-1-yl)-2(2-halobenzyl)-N-alkylpropanamide scaffold and from experimental screens in rats, with ex vivo LC-MS/MS measures, three ligands were identified for labeling with carbon-11 and evaluation with PET in monkey. Each ligand was labeled by 11C-methylation of an N-desmethyl precursor and studied in monkey under baseline and NOP receptor-preblock conditions. The three radioligands, [11C](S)-10a–c, gave similar results. Baseline scans showed high entry of radioactivity into brain to give a distribution reflecting that expected for NOP receptors. Pre-block experiments showed high early peak levels of brain radioactivity which rapidly declined to a much lower level than seen in baseline scans, thereby indicating a high level of receptor-specific binding in baseline experiments. Overall, [11C](S)-10c showed the most favorable receptor-specific signal and kinetics and is now selected for evaluation in human subjects.

In order to develop improved radioligands for imaging brain CB1 receptors with positron emission tomography (PET) based on rimonabant (5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-N-(piperidin-1-yl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide; 1), we synthesized compounds 9a–s in which the N-piperidinyl ring was replaced with a 4-(4-cyano-tetrahydro-2H-pyranyl) or 1-cyano-cyclohexyl ring. Such changes were expected to be almost isosteric with 1, confer greater metabolic resistance and, in the case of the 4-(4-cyano-tetrahydro-2H-pyranyl) compounds, substantially reduce lipophilicity. One derivative, 1-(2-bromophenyl)-N-(1-cyanocyclohexyl)-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (9n), showed high affinity (Ki = 15.7 nM) and selectivity for binding to CB1 receptors. The corresponding 4-(4-cyano-tetrahydro-2H-pyranyl) derivative (9m) also showed quite high affinity for CB1 receptors (Ki = 62 nM), but was found to have even higher affinity (Ki = 29 nM) for the structurally unrelated 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO). Some other minor structural changes among 9a–s were also found to switch binding selectivity from CB1 receptors to TSPO or vice versa. These unexpected findings and their implications for the development of selective ligands or PET radioligands for CB1 receptors or TSPO are discussed in relation to current pharmacophore models of CB1 receptor and TSPO binding sites.

A novel series of N1-methyl-(2-phenylindol-3-yl)glyoxylamides 19–31, designed in accordance with our previously reported pharmacophore/topological model, showed high affinity for the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) and paved the way for developing a new radiolabeled probe. Thus ligand 31, N,N-di-n-propyl-(N1-methyl-2-(4'-nitrophenyl)indol-3-yl)glyoxylamide, featuring the best combination of affinity and lipophilicity, was labeled with carbon-11 for evaluation with positron emission tomography (PET) in monkey. After intravenous injection, [11C]31 entered brain to give a high proportion of TSPO-specific binding. These findings augur well for the future application of [11C]31 in humans. Consequently, the binding of 31 to human TSPO was tested on samples of brain membranes from deceased subjects who through ethically-approved in vitro study had previously been established to be high-affinity binders (HABs), mixed-affinity binders (MABs) or low-affinity binders (LABs) for the known TSPO ligand, PBR28 (2). 31 showed high affinity for HABs, MABs and LABs. In conclusion, [11C]31 represents a promising new chemotype for developing novel TSPO radioligands as biomarkers of neuroinflammation.

In a search for high-affinity receptor ligands that might serve for development as radioligands for the imaging of brain 5-HT4 receptors in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET), structural modifications were made to the high-affinity 5-HT4 antagonist, (1-butylpiperidin-4-yl)methyl 8-amino-7-iodo-2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxine-5-carboxylate (1, SB 207710). These modifications were made mainly on the aryl side of the ester bond to permit possible rapid labeling of the carboxylic acid component with a positron-emitter, either carbon-11 (t1/2 = 20.4 min) or fluorine-18 (t1/2 = 109.7 min), and included, i) replacement of the iodine atom with a small substituent such as nitrile, methyl or fluoro, ii) methylation of the 8-amino group, iii) opening of the dioxan ring, and iv) alteration of the length of the N-alkyl goup. High-affinity ligands were discovered for recombinant human 5-HT4 receptors with amenability to labeling with a positron-emitter and potential for development as imaging probes. The ring-opened radioligand, (([methoxy-11C]1-butylpiperidin-4-yl)methyl 4-amino-3-methoxybenzoate; [11C]13), showed an especially favorable array of properties for future evaluation as a PET radioligand for brain 5-HT4 receptors.

Elevated levels of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) are associated with activated microglia in their response to inflammation. Hence, PBR imaging in vivo is valuable for investigating brain inflammatory conditions. Sensitive, easily prepared and readily available radioligands for imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) are desirable for this purpose. We describe a new 18F-labeled PBR radioligand, namely [18F]N-fluoroacetyl-N-(2,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-2-phenoxyaniline ([18F]9). [18F]9 was produced easily through a single and highly efficient step, the reaction of [18F]fluoride ion with the corresponding bromo precursor, 8. Ligand 9 exhibited high affinity for PBR in vitro. PET showed that [18F]9 was avidly taken into monkey brain and gave a high ratio of PBR-specific to nonspecific binding. [18F]9 was devoid of defluorination in rat and monkey and gave predominantly polar radiometabolite(s). In rat, a low level radiometabolite of intermediate lipophilicity was identified as [18F]2-fluoro-N-(2-phenoxyphenyl)acetamide ([18F]11). [18F]9 is a promising radioligand for future imaging of PBR in living human brain.

[11C]Loperamide has been proposed for imaging P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function with positron emission tomography (PET), but its metabolism to [N-methyl-11C]N-desmethyl-loperamide ([11C]dLop; [11C]3) precludes quantification. We considered that [11C]3 might itself be a superior radiotracer for imaging brain P-gp function and therefore aimed to prepare [11C]3 and characterize its efficacy. An amide precursor (2) was synthesized and methylated with [11C]iodomethane to give [11C]3. After administration of [11C]3 to wild type mice, brain radioactivity uptake was very low. In P-gp (mdr-1a (−/−)) knockout mice, brain uptake of radioactivity at 30 min increased about 3.5 fold by PET measures, and over seven-fold by ex vivo measures. In knockout mice, brain radioactivity was predominantly (90%) unchanged radiotracer. In monkey PET experiments, brain radioactivity uptake was also very low, but after P-gp blockade increased more than seven-fold. [11C]3 is an effective new radiotracer for imaging brain P-gp function and, in favor of future successful quantification, appears free of extensive brain-penetrant radiometabolites.

We have reported that [methyl-11C](3R,5R)-5-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-3-((R)-1-phenyl-ethylamino)-1-(4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-pyrrolidin-2-one ([11C]8, [11C]MePPEP) binds with high selectivity to cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors in monkey brain in vivo. We now describe the synthesis of 8 and four analogs, namely the 4-fluoro-phenyl (16, FMePPEP), 3-fluoromethoxy (20, FMPEP), 3-fluoromethoxy-d2 (21, FMPEP-d2) and 3-fluoro-ethoxy analogs (22, FEPEP), and report their activity in an ex vivo model designed to identify compounds suitable for use as PET ligands. These ligands showed high, selective potency at CB1 receptors in vitro (Kb < 1 nM). Each ligand (30 μg/kg, i.v.) was injected into rats under baseline and pretreatment conditions (3, rimonabant, 10 mg/kg, i.v.), and quantified at later times in frontal cortex ex vivo with LC-MS detection. Maximal ligand uptakes were high (22.6-48.0 ng/g). Under pretreatment, maximal brain uptakes were greatly reduced (6.5-17.3 ng/g). Since each ligand readily entered brain and bound with high selectivity to CB1 receptors, we then established and here describe methods to produce [11C]8, [11C]16 and [18F]20-22 in adequate activities for evaluation as candidate PET radioligands in vivo.