Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]BEAN as a potential mitochondria-based PET biomarker for metabolic disorders.

Abstract

Changes in metabolism are associated with several prevalent and rare diseases, like Hunter syndrome (MPS II). These alterations result in changes in mitochondrial function, therefore having non-invasive imaging biomarkers to detect this pathophysiological hallmark is a key objective of translational medicine. Here we report the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of the [¹⁸F]berberine analogue ([¹⁸F]BEAN), in both wildtype animals and a mouse model of Hunter's disease. PET/CT imaging revealed that [¹⁸F]BEAN could detect mitochondrial dysfunction in the heart, liver, and brain of Hunter's disease (Ids KO) mice. These data suggest that [¹⁸F]BEAN may be a viable translational PET biomarker for the imaging of diverse pathologies that have impaired mitochondrial function.