Pilot-phase PET/CT study targeting integrin αvß6 in pancreatic cancer patients using the cystine-knot peptide-based 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2.

PURPOSE: A novel cystine-knot peptide-based PET radiopharmaceutical, 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 (knottin), was developed to selectively bind to human integrin αvß6 which is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, biodistribution, dosimetry, and lesion uptake of 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 in patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Fifteen patients (6 men, 9 women) with histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer were prospectively enrolled and underwent knottin PET/CT between March 2017 and February 2021 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02683824). Vital signs and laboratory results were collected before and after the imaging scans. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and mean SUV (SUVmean) were measured in 24 normal tissues and pancreatic cancer lesions for each patient. From the biodistribution data, the organ doses and whole-body effective dose were calculated using OLINDA/EXM software. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in vital signs or laboratory values that qualified as adverse events or serious adverse events. At 1 h post-injection, areas of high 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 uptake included the pituitary gland, stomach, duodenum, kidneys, and bladder (average SUVmean: 9.7-14.5). Intermediate uptake was found in the normal pancreas (average SUVmean: 4.5). Mild uptake was found in the lungs and liver (average SUVmean < 1.0). The effective dose was calculated to be 2.538 × 10-2 mSv/MBq. Knottin PET/CT detected all known pancreatic tumors in the 15 patients, although it did not detect small peri-pancreatic lymph nodes of less than 1 cm in short diameter in two of three patients who had lymph node metastases at surgery. Knottin PET/CT detected distant metastases in the lungs (n = 5), liver (n = 4), and peritoneum (n = 2), confirmed by biopsy and/or contrast-enhanced CT. CONCLUSION: 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 is a safe PET radiopharmaceutical with an effective dose comparable to other diagnostic agents. Evaluation of the primary pancreatic cancer and distant metastases with 18F-FP-R01-MG-F2 PET is feasible, but larger studies are required to define the role of this approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02683824.

Positron emission tomography reporter gene strategy for use in the central nervous system.

There is a growing need for monitoring or imaging gene therapy in the central nervous system (CNS). This can be achieved with a positron emission tomography (PET) reporter gene strategy. Here we report the development of a PET reporter gene system using the PKM2 gene with its associated radiotracer [18F]DASA-23. The PKM2 reporter gene was delivered to the brains of mice by adeno-associated virus (AAV9) via stereotactic injection. Serial PET imaging was carried out over 8 wk to assess PKM2 expression. After 8 wk, the brains were excised for further mRNA and protein analysis. PET imaging at 8 wk post-AAV delivery showed an increase in [18F]DASA-23 brain uptake in the transduced site of mice injected with the AAV mice over all controls. We believe PKM2 shows great promise as a PET reporter gene and to date is the only example that can be used in all areas of the CNS without breaking the blood-brain barrier, to monitor gene and cell therapy.

Human biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of [18F]DASA-23, a PET probe targeting pyruvate kinase M2.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety, biodistribution, and radiation dosimetry of the novel positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical 1-((2-fluoro-6-[[18F]]fluorophenyl)sulfonyl)-4-((4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl)piperazine ([18F]DASA-23) in healthy volunteers. METHODS: We recruited 5 healthy volunteers who provided a written informed consent. Volunteers were injected with 295.0 ± 8.2 MBq of [18F]DASA-23 intravenously. Immediately following injection, a dynamic scan of the brain was acquired for 15 min. This was followed by serial whole-body PET/MRI scans acquired up to 3 h post-injection. Blood samples were collected at regular intervals, and vital signs monitored pre- and post-radiotracer administration. Regions of interest were drawn around multiple organs, time-activity curves were calculated, and organ uptake and dosimetry were estimated with OLINDA/EXM (version 1.1) software. RESULTS: All subjects tolerated the PET/MRI examination, without adverse reactions to [18F]DASA-23. [18F]DASA-23 passively crossed the blood-brain barrier, followed by rapid clearance from the brain. High accumulation of [18F]DASA-23 was noted in organs such as the gallbladder, liver, small intestine, and urinary bladder, suggesting hepatobiliary and urinary clearance. The effective dose of [18F]DASA-23 was 23.5 ± 5.8 µSv/MBq. CONCLUSION: We successfully completed a pilot first-in-human study of [18F]DASA-23. Our results indicate that [18F]DASA-23 can be used safely in humans to evaluate pyruvate kinase M2 levels. Ongoing studies are evaluating the ability of [18F]DASA-23 to visualize intracranial malignancies, NCT03539731. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03539731 (registered 28 May 2018).

New synthesis of 6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose for positron emission tomography imaging of bacterial infection.

6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose is a positron emission tomography tracer that can differentiate between bacterial infection and inflammation in vivo. Bacteria-specific uptake of 6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose is attributed to the targeting of maltodextrin transporter in bacteria that is absent in mammalian cells. Herein, we report a new synthesis of 6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose as a key step for its clinical translation. In comparison with the previously reported synthesis, the new synthesis features unambiguous assignment of the fluorine-18 position on the maltotriose unit. The new method utilizes direct fluorination of 2″,3″,4″-tri-O-acetyl-6″-O-trifyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-O-2',3',6'-tri-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-1,2,3,6-tetra-O-acetyl-D-glucopyranose followed by basic hydrolysis. Radiolabeling of the new maltotriose triflate precursor proceeds using a single HPLC purification step, which results in shorter reaction time in comparison with the previously reported synthesis. Successful synthesis of 6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose has been achieved in 3.5 ± 0.3% radiochemical yield (decay corrected, n = 7) and radiochemical purity above 95%. The efficient radiosynthesis of 6″-[18 F]fluoromaltotriose would be critical in advancing this positron emission tomography tracer into clinical trials for imaging bacterial infections.

Identifying Hypoperfusion in Moyamoya Disease With Arterial Spin Labeling and an [15O]-Water Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging Normative Database.

Background and Purpose- Noninvasive imaging of brain perfusion has the potential to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Moyamoya disease and enable clinical imaging of cerebral blood flow (CBF) to select revascularization therapies for patients. We used hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to characterize the distribution of hypoperfusion in Moyamoya disease and its relationship to vessel stenosis severity, through comparisons with a normative perfusion database of healthy controls. Methods- To image CBF, we acquired [15O]-water PET as a reference and simultaneously acquired arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI scans in 20 Moyamoya patients and 15 age-matched, healthy controls on a PET/MRI scanner. The ASL MRI scans included a standard single-delay ASL scan with postlabel delay of 2.0 s and a multidelay scan with 5 postlabel delays (0.7-3.0s) to estimate and account for arterial transit time in CBF quantification. The percent volume of hypoperfusion in patients (determined as the fifth percentile of CBF values in the healthy control database) was the outcome measure in a logistic regression model that included stenosis grade and location. Results- Logistic regression showed that anterior ( P<0.0001) and middle cerebral artery territory regions ( P=0.003) in Moyamoya patients were susceptible to hypoperfusion, whereas posterior regions were not. Cortical regions supplied by arteries with stenosis on MR angiography showed more hypoperfusion than normal arteries ( P=0.001), but the extent of hypoperfusion was not different between mild-moderate versus severe stenosis. Multidelay ASL did not perform differently from [15O]-water PET in detecting perfusion abnormalities, but standard ASL overestimated the extent of hypoperfusion in patients ( P=0.003). Conclusions- This simultaneous PET/MRI study supports the use of multidelay ASL MRI in clinical evaluation of Moyamoya disease in settings where nuclear medicine imaging is not available and application of a normative perfusion database to automatically identify abnormal CBF in patients.

Long-Delay Arterial Spin Labeling Provides More Accurate Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements in Moyamoya Patients: A Simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography/MRI Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI is a promising, noninvasive technique to image cerebral blood flow (CBF) but is difficult to use in cerebrovascular patients with abnormal, long arterial transit times through collateral pathways. To be clinically adopted, ASL must first be optimized and validated against a reference standard in these challenging patient cases. METHODS: We compared standard-delay ASL (post-label delay=2.025 seconds), multidelay ASL (post-label delay=0.7-3.0 seconds), and long-label long-delay ASL acquisitions (post-label delay=4.0 seconds) against simultaneous [15O]-positron emission tomography (PET) CBF maps in 15 Moyamoya patients on a hybrid PET/MRI scanner. Dynamic susceptibility contrast was performed in each patient to identify areas of mild, moderate, and severe time-to-maximum (Tmax) delays. Relative CBF measurements by each ASL scan in 20 cortical regions were compared with the PET reference standard, and correlations were calculated for areas with moderate and severe Tmax delays. RESULTS: Standard-delay ASL underestimated relative CBF by 20% in areas of severe Tmax delays, particularly in anterior and middle territories commonly affected by Moyamoya disease (P<0.001). Arterial transit times correction by multidelay acquisitions led to improved consistency with PET, but still underestimated CBF in the presence of long transit delays (P=0.02). Long-label long-delay ASL scans showed the strongest correlation relative to PET, and there was no difference in mean relative CBF between the modalities, even in areas of severe delays. CONCLUSIONS: Post-label delay times of ≥4 seconds are needed and may be combined with multidelay strategies for robust ASL assessment of CBF in Moyamoya disease.

Carbon-11 radiolabelling of organosulfur compounds: (11) C synthesis of the progesterone receptor agonist tanaproget.

Herein a new (11) C radiolabelling strategy for the fast and efficient synthesis of thioureas and related derivatives using the novel synthon, (11) CS2 , is reported. This approach has enabled the facile labelling of a potent progesterone receptor (PR) agonist, [(11) C]Tanaproget, by the intramolecular reaction of the acyclic aminohydroxyl precursor with (11) CS2 , which has potential applications as a positron emission tomography radioligand for cancer imaging.

Minicircles for a two-step blood biomarker and PET imaging early cancer detection strategy.

Early cancer detection can dramatically increase treatment options and survival rates for patients, yet detection of early-stage tumors remains difficult. Here, we demonstrate a two-step strategy to detect and locate cancerous lesions by delivering tumor-activatable minicircle (MC) plasmids encoding a combination of blood-based and imaging reporter genes to tumor cells. We genetically engineered the MCs, under the control of the pan-tumor-specific Survivin promoter, to encode: 1) Gaussia Luciferase (GLuc), a secreted biomarker that can be easily assayed in blood samples; and 2) Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Thymidine Kinase mutant (HSV-1 sr39TK), a PET reporter gene that can be used for highly sensitive and quantitative imaging of the tumor location. We evaluated two methods of MC delivery, complexing the MCs with the chemical transfection reagent jetPEI or encapsulating the MCs in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from a human cervical cancer HeLa cell line. MCs delivered by EVs or jetPEI yielded significant expression of the reporter genes in cell culture versus MCs delivered without a transfection reagent. Secreted GLuc correlated with HSV-1 sr39TK expression with R2 = 0.9676. MC complexation with jetPEI delivered a larger mass of MC for enhanced transfection, which was crucial for in vivo animal studies, where delivery of MCs via jetPEI resulted in GLuc and HSV-1 sr39TK expression at significantly higher levels than controls. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the PET reporter gene HSV-1 sr39TK delivered via a tumor-activatable MC to tumor cells for an early cancer detection strategy. This work explores solutions to endogenous blood-based biomarker and molecular imaging limitations of early cancer detection strategies and elucidates the delivery capabilities and limitations of EVs.

Molecular Imaging of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells by ICOS-ImmunoPET.

PURPOSE: Immunomonitoring of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells relies primarily on their quantification in the peripheral blood, which inadequately quantifies their biodistribution and activation status in the tissues. Noninvasive molecular imaging of CAR T cells by PET is a promising approach with the ability to provide spatial, temporal, and functional information. Reported strategies rely on the incorporation of reporter transgenes or ex vivo biolabeling, significantly limiting the application of CAR T-cell molecular imaging. In this study, we assessed the ability of antibody-based PET (immunoPET) to noninvasively visualize CAR T cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: After analyzing human CAR T cells in vitro and ex vivo from patient samples to identify candidate targets for immunoPET, we employed a syngeneic, orthotopic murine tumor model of lymphoma to assess the feasibility of in vivo tracking of CAR T cells by immunoPET using the 89Zr-DFO-anti-ICOS tracer, which we have previously reported. RESULTS: Analysis of human CD19-CAR T cells during activation identified the Inducible T-cell COStimulator (ICOS) as a potential target for immunoPET. In a preclinical tumor model, 89Zr-DFO-ICOS mAb PET-CT imaging detected significantly higher signal in specific bone marrow-containing skeletal sites of CAR T-cell-treated mice compared with controls. Importantly, administration of ICOS-targeting antibodies at tracer doses did not interfere with CAR T-cell persistence and function. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the potential of ICOS-immunoPET imaging for monitoring of CAR T-cell therapy, a strategy readily applicable to both commercially available and investigational CAR T cells.See related commentary by Volpe et al., p. 911.

A Clinical PET Imaging Tracer ([18F]DASA-23) to Monitor Pyruvate Kinase M2-Induced Glycolytic Reprogramming in Glioblastoma.

PURPOSE: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) catalyzes the final step in glycolysis, a key process of cancer metabolism. PKM2 is preferentially expressed by glioblastoma (GBM) cells with minimal expression in healthy brain. We describe the development, validation, and translation of a novel PET tracer to study PKM2 in GBM. We evaluated 1-((2-fluoro-6-[18F]fluorophenyl)sulfonyl)-4-((4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonyl)piperazine ([18F]DASA-23) in cell culture, mouse models of GBM, healthy human volunteers, and patients with GBM. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: [18F]DASA-23 was synthesized with a molar activity of 100.47 ± 29.58 GBq/µmol and radiochemical purity >95%. We performed initial testing of [18F]DASA-23 in GBM cell culture and human GBM xenografts implanted orthotopically into mice. Next, we produced [18F]DASA-23 under FDA oversight, and evaluated it in healthy volunteers and a pilot cohort of patients with glioma. RESULTS: In mouse imaging studies, [18F]DASA-23 clearly delineated the U87 GBM from surrounding healthy brain tissue and had a tumor-to-brain ratio of 3.6 ± 0.5. In human volunteers, [18F]DASA-23 crossed the intact blood-brain barrier and was rapidly cleared. In patients with GBM, [18F]DASA-23 successfully outlined tumors visible on contrast-enhanced MRI. The uptake of [18F]DASA-23 was markedly elevated in GBMs compared with normal brain, and it identified a metabolic nonresponder within 1 week of treatment initiation. CONCLUSIONS: We developed and translated [18F]DASA-23 as a new tracer that demonstrated the visualization of aberrantly expressed PKM2 for the first time in human subjects. These results warrant further clinical evaluation of [18F]DASA-23 to assess its utility for imaging therapy-induced normalization of aberrant cancer metabolism.

Maltotriose-based probes for fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging of bacterial infections.

Currently, there are no non-invasive tools to accurately diagnose wound and surgical site infections before they become systemic or cause significant anatomical damage. Fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging are cost-effective imaging modalities that can be used to noninvasively diagnose bacterial infections when paired with a molecularly targeted infection imaging agent. Here, we develop a fluorescent derivative of maltotriose (Cy7-1-maltotriose), which is shown to be taken up in a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains in vitro. In vivo fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging studies highlight the ability of this probe to detect infection, assess infection burden, and visualize the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in E. coli-induced myositis and a clinically relevant S. aureus wound infection murine model. In addition, we show that maltotriose is an ideal scaffold for infection imaging agents encompassing better pharmacokinetic properties and in vivo stability than other maltodextrins (e.g. maltohexose).

Synthesis and Characterization of 9-(4-[18F]Fluoro-3-(hydroxymethyl)butyl)-2-(phenylthio)-6-oxopurine as a Novel PET Agent for Mutant Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Thymidine Kinase Reporter Gene Imaging.

PURPOSE: [18F]FHBG has been used as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging tracer for the monitoring of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk), a reporter gene for cell and gene therapy in humans. However, this tracer shows inadequate blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration and, therefore, would be limited for accurate quantification of reporter gene expression in the brain. Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of 9-(4-[18F]fluoro-3-(hydroxymethyl)butyl)-2(phenylthio)-6-oxopurine ([18F]FHBT) as a new PET tracer for imaging reporter gene expression of HSV1-tk and its mutant HSV1-sr39tk, with the aim of improved BBB penetration. PROCEDURES: [18F]FHBT was prepared by using a tosylate precursor and [18F]KF. The cellular uptake of [18F]FHBT was performed in HSV1-sr39tk-positive (+) or HSV1-sr39tk-negative (-) MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The specificity of [18F]FHBT to assess HSV1-sr39tk expression was evaluated by in vitro blocking studies using 1 mM of ganciclovir (GCV). Penetration of [18F]FHBT and [18F]FHBG across the BBB was assessed by dynamic PET imaging studies in normal mice. RESULTS: The tosylate precursor reacted with [18F]KF using Kryptofix2.2.2 followed by deprotection to give [18F]FHBT in 10 % radiochemical yield (decay-corrected). The uptake of [18F]FHBT in HSV1-sr39tk (+) cells was significantly higher than that of HSV1-sr39tk (-) cells. In the presence of GCV (1 mM), the uptake of [18F]FHBT was significantly decreased, indicating that [18F]FHBT serves as a selective substrate of HSV1-sr39TK. PET images and time-activity curves of [18F]FHBT in the brain regions showed similar initial brain uptakes (~ 12.75 min) as [18F]FHBG (P > 0.855). Slower washout of [18F]FHBT was observed at the later time points (17.75 - 57.75 min, P > 0.207). CONCLUSIONS: Although [18F]FHBT showed no statistically significant improvement of BBB permeability compared with [18F]FHBG, we have demonstrated that the 2-(phenylthio)-6-oxopurine backbone can serve as a novel scaffold for developing HSV1-tk/HSV1-sr39tk reporter gene imaging agents for additional research in the future.

PET Reporter Gene Imaging and Ganciclovir-Mediated Ablation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells in Solid Tumors.

Imaging strategies to monitor chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell biodistribution and proliferation harbor the potential to facilitate clinical translation for the treatment of both liquid and solid tumors. In addition, the potential adverse effects of CAR T cells highlight the need for mechanisms to modulate CAR T-cell activity. The herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) gene has previously been translated as a PET reporter gene for imaging of T-cell trafficking in patients with brain tumor. The HSV1-TK enzyme can act as a suicide gene of transduced cells through treatment with the prodrug ganciclovir. Here we report the molecular engineering, imaging, and ganciclovir-mediated destruction of B7H3 CAR T cells incorporating a mutated version of the HSV1-tk gene (sr39tk) with improved enzymatic activity for ganciclovir. The sr39tk gene did not affect B7H3 CAR T-cell functionality and in vitro and in vivo studies in osteosarcoma models showed no significant effect on B7H3 CAR T-cell antitumor activity. PET/CT imaging with 9-(4-[18F]-fluoro-3-[hydroxymethyl]butyl)guanine ([18F]FHBG) of B7H3-sr39tk CAR T cells in an orthotopic model of osteosarcoma revealed tumor homing and systemic immune expansion. Bioluminescence and PET imaging of B7H3-sr39tk CAR T cells confirmed complete tumor ablation with intraperitoneal ganciclovir administration. This imaging and suicide ablation system can provide insight into CAR T-cell migration and proliferation during clinical trials while serving as a suicide switch to limit potential toxicities. SIGNIFICANCE: This study showcases the only genetically engineered system capable of serving the dual role both as an effective PET imaging reporter and as a suicide switch for CAR T cells.

The Characterization of 18F-hGTS13 for Molecular Imaging of xC- Transporter Activity with PET.

The aim of this study was development of an improved PET radiotracer for measuring xC- activity with increased tumor uptake and reduced uptake in inflammatory cells compared with (S)-4-(3-18F-fluoropropyl)-l-glutamate (18F-FSPG). Methods: A racemic glutamate derivative, 18F-hGTS13, was evaluated in cell culture and animal tumor models. 18F-hGTS13 was separated into C5 epimers, and the corresponding 18F-hGTS13-isomer1 and 18F-hGTS13-isomer2 were evaluated in H460 tumor-bearing rats. Preliminary studies investigated the cellular uptake of 18F-hGTS13-isomer2 in multiple immune cell populations and states. Results:18F-hGTS13 demonstrated excellent H460 tumor visualization with high tumor-to-background ratios, confirmed by ex vivo biodistribution studies. Tumor-associated radioactivity was significantly higher for 18F-hGTS13 (7.5 ± 0.9 percentage injected dose [%ID]/g, n = 3) than for 18F-FSPG (4.6 ± 0.7 %ID/g, n = 3, P = 0.01). 18F-hGTS13-isomer2 exhibited excellent H460 tumor visualization (6.3 ± 1.1 %ID/g, n = 3) and significantly reduced uptake in multiple immune cell populations relative to 18F-FSPG. 18F-hGTS13-isomer2 exhibited increased liver uptake relative to 18F-FSPG (4.6 ± 0.8 vs. 0.7 ± 0.01 %ID/g), limiting its application in hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion:18F-hGTS13-isomer2 is a new PET radiotracer for molecular imaging of xC- activity that may provide information on tumor oxidation states. 18F-hGTS13-isomer2 has potential for clinical translation for imaging cancers of the thorax because of the low background signal in healthy tissue.

Ammonium [11C]thiocyanate: revised preparation and reactivity studies of a versatile nucleophile for carbon-11 radiolabelling.

Herein we report the preparation of ammonium [11C]thiocyanate via the reaction of [11C]CS2 with ammonia. The [11C]SCN- ion is demonstrated as a potent nucleophile that can be used to readily generate a range of 11C-labelled thiocyanate molecules in high conversions. Furthermore, novel 11C-labelled thiazolone molecules can be easily prepared from the intermediate α-thiocyanatophenones via an acid mediated cyclisation reaction.

The Utility of [18F]DASA-23 for Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer with Positron Emission Tomography.

PURPOSE: There is a strong, unmet need for superior positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents that are able to measure biochemical processes specific to prostate cancer. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) catalyzes the concluding step in glycolysis and is a key regulator of tumor growth and metabolism. Elevation of PKM2 expression was detected in Gleason 8-10 tumors compared to Gleason 6-7 carcinomas, indicating that PKM2 may potentially be a marker of aggressive prostate cancer. We have recently reported the development of a PKM2-specific radiopharmaceutical [18F]DASA-23 and herein describe its evaluation in cell culture and preclinical models of prostate cancer. PROCEDURE: The cellular uptake of [18F]DASA-23 was evaluated in a panel of prostate cancer cell lines and compared to that of [18F]FDG. The specificity of [18F]DASA-23 to measure PKM2 levels in cell culture was additionally confirmed through the use of PKM2-specific siRNA. PET imaging studies were then completed utilizing subcutaneous prostate cancer xenografts using either PC3 or DU145 cells in mice. RESULTS: [18F]DASA-23 uptake values over 60-min incubation period in PC3, LnCAP, and DU145 respectively were 23.4 ± 4.5, 18.0 ± 2.1, and 53.1 ± 4.6 % tracer/mg protein. Transient reduction in PKM2 protein expression with siRNA resulted in a 50.1 % reduction in radiotracer uptake in DU145 cells. Small animal PET imaging revealed 0.86 ± 0.13 and 1.6 ± 0.2 % ID/g at 30 min post injection of radioactivity in DU145 and PC3 subcutaneous tumor bearing mice respectively. CONCLUSION: Herein, we evaluated a F-18-labeled PKM2-specific radiotracer, [18F]DASA-23, for the molecular imaging of prostate cancer with PET. [18F]DASA-23 revealed rapid and extensive uptake levels in cellular uptake studies of prostate cancer cells; however, there was only modest tumor uptake when evaluated in mouse subcutaneous tumor models.