Natural Selection-Guided ACE2-Targeted Molecular Imaging: A New Paradigm for PET Tracer Development

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as a biomarker and a promising therapeutic target in several diseases. The noninvasive visualization of in vivo ACE2 mapping is urgent for disease guidance and treatment assessment. A radioimmuno assay method adapting to the RBD peptide library was proposed here to screen a high ACE2-specific peptide sequence as the targeting molecule. Derived from the constructed RBD peptide libraries of the dominant Omicron variants (BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5), the superior peptide was high-throughput screened through the binding rate to the HEK293-hACE2 cell and verified by the molecular docking with ACE2. Further, biodistribution studies were conducted through ¹²⁵I-based SPECT imaging. The DOTA-modified derivant was labeled with Ga-68 to enable ACE2-targeted PET imaging. The peptide ⁵⁰⁵HQPYRVVVLSFELLH⁵¹⁹ (named as Omi-X) showed a superior ACE2 binding via molecular docking and cellular assays. ¹²⁵I-labeled Omi-X SPECT imaging demonstrated the high ACE2-specificity and binding retention in K18-hACE2 mice, together with an ideal performance in labeling stability and flexibility. The ACE2-targeted PET imaging tracers⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-Omi-X realized the ACE2 mapping and further applicability in RAAS-related diseasescardiac hypertrophy, intuitively reflecting the ACE2 expression and regulating role. This natural evolution-guided approach not only enabled a noninvasive visualization of ACE2 but also established a paradigm for developing targeted therapies by leveraging viral-host adaptation mechanisms. Our work bridged natural evolution and target molecule screening and offered imaging tools for RAAS pathophysiology, investigation, and precision diagnostics.