18F-Radiolabeling and Evaluation of an AMD3465 Derivative for PET Imaging of CXCR4 in a Mouse Breast Tumor Model

The exploration of pharmaceutically active agents and positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting CXCR4 has been a focal point in cancer research given its pivotal role in the development and progression of various cancers. While significant strides have been made in PET imaging with radiometal-labeled tracers, the landscape of ¹⁸F-labeled small molecule tracers remains relatively limited. Herein, we introduce a novel and promising derivative, [¹⁸F]SFB-AMD3465, as a targeted PET tracer for CXCR4. The compound was synthesized by modifying the pyridine ring of AMD3465, which was subsequently labeled with ¹⁸F using [¹⁸F]SFB. The study provides comprehensive insights into the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of [¹⁸F]SFB-AMD3465. In vitro and in vivo assessments demonstrated the CXCR4-dependent, specific, and sensitive uptake of [¹⁸F]SFB-AMD3465 in the CXCR4-overexpressing 4T1 cell line and the corresponding xenograft-bearing mouse model. These findings contribute to bridging the gap in ¹⁸F-labeled PET tracers for CXCR4 and underscore the potential of [¹⁸F]SFB-AMD3465 as a PET radiotracer for in vivo CXCR4 imaging.