Synthesis and evaluation of [¹⁸F]FBNAF, a STAT3-targeting probe, for PET imaging of tumor microenvironment

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a protein that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation, and it is attracting attention as a new index for evaluating cancer pathophysiology, as its activation has been highly correlated with the development and growth of tumors. With the development of STAT3 inhibitors, the demand for imaging probes will intensify. Noninvasive STAT3 imaging can help determine the cancer status and predict the efficacy of STAT3 inhibitors. In this study, we aimed to develop an imaging probe targeting STAT3 and synthesized [¹⁸F]FBNAF, which was derived from a STAT3-selective inhibitor as the lead compound, followed by in vitro and in vivo evaluations of [¹⁸F]FBNAF in positron emission tomography for STAT3.

The results revealed that FBNAF concentration-dependently inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation, similar to the lead compound, thereby supporting radiosynthesis. [¹⁸F]FBNAF was easily synthesized from the pinacol boronate ester precursor with suitable radiochemical conversion (46%), radiochemical yield (6.0%), and radiochemical purity (> 97%). [¹⁸F]FBNAF exhibited high stability in vitro and in vivo, and radioactivity accumulated in tumor tissues expressing STAT3 with an increasing tumor/blood ratio over time, peaking at 2.6 ± 0.8 at 120 min after injection in tumor-bearing mice. Tumor radioactivity was significantly reduced by the coinjection of a STAT3-selective inhibitor. Furthermore, the localization of radioactivity was almost consistent with STAT3 expression based on ex vivo autoradiography and immunohistochemistry using adjacent tumor sections.

Thus, [¹⁸F]FBNAF could be the first promising STAT3-targeting probe for PET imaging. A STAT3 imaging probe provides meaningful information on STAT3-associated cancer conditions and in tumor microenvironment.