Stable [64Cu]-labelled phthalocyanine choline bioconjugate for development of a potential cancer PET probe. In vivo biodistribution evaluation

The development of stable vectorized probes for application in medical imaging, particularly in PET, has been of great interest over the last few years. In this work, we report an efficient and straightforward (5 minute) radiolabeling methodology using [[Formula: see text]Ni](p,n)[[Formula: see text]Cu], produced in ICNAS medical cyclotron, using water as solvent. The new [[Formula: see text]Cu]-radiolabelled phthalocyanine complex, bearing choline moieties, a known key vector for breast cancer, was obtained with a RCC (radiochemical conversion) of 99%, presenting a high radiochemical stability. In vivo PET imaging/biodistribution studies, performed in BALB/c mice showed that the main excretion pathway was via the hepatobiliary pathway.