Nanobodies Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen for the Imaging and Therapy of Prostate Cancer.

The repertoire of methods for the detection and chemotherapeutic treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) is currently limited. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is overexpressed in PCa tumors and can be exploited for both imaging and drug delivery. We developed and characterized four nanobodies that present tight and specific binding and internalization into PSMA+ cells and that accumulate specifically in PSMA+ tumors. We then conjugated one of these nanobodies to the cytotoxic drug doxorubicin, and we show that the conjugate internalizes specifically into PSMA+ cells, where the drug is released and induces cytotoxic activity. In vivo studies show that the extent of tumor growth inhibition is similar when mice are treated with commercial doxorubicin and with a 42-fold lower amount of the nanobody-conjugated doxorubicin, attesting to the efficacy of the conjugated drug. These data highlight nanobodies as promising agents for the imaging of PCa tumors and for the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Ligand mediated iron catalyzed dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes: scope and limitations.

Regioselective dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes to produce conjugated enynes has been achieved using FeCl3 and KO(t)Bu in the presence of either DMEDA or dppe. The reaction proceeds smoothly in toluene at 145 °C for 2 h to give the corresponding head-to-head dimers in good to excellent yields (54 to 99%) with high E-selectivity (67 : 33 to 83 : 17 E/Z). Both strongly electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups are compatible with this procedure. The bidentate phosphine (dppe) ligand exhibits better catalytic activity than the bidentate amine (DMEDA). The aliphatic acetylene fails to react under this catalytic system which suggests that potassium tertiary butoxide activates the conjugated system of aryl acetylene through cation-pi interaction and pi-pi interaction. A radical inhibitor (galvinoxyl or TEMPO) completely suppresses the reaction. Employing FeCl2 as a catalyst instead of FeCl3, only phenyl acetylene afforded the corresponding head to head dimer in good yield. Mechanistic pathways for both FeCl3 catalyzed dimerization of aryl alkynes and FeCl2 catalyzed dimerization of phenyl acetylene have been proposed.

Iron catalyzed highly regioselective dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes.

Iron can catalyze head-to-head dimerization of terminal aryl alkynes to give the corresponding (E) selective conjugated enynes in high yields. A variety of substituted aryl acetylenes underwent smooth dimerization using catalytic FeCl(3) and DMEDA in the presence of KO(t)Bu.