Development of a highly-specific 18F-labeled irreversible positron emission tomography tracer for monoacylglycerol lipase mapping

• Published in: Acta pharmaceutica Sinica. B Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 1686 - 1695
• Main Authors: Chen, Zhen, Mori, Wakana, Rong, Jian, Schafroth, Michael A., Shao, Tuo, Van, Richard S., Ogasawara, Daisuke, Yamasaki, Tomoteru, Hiraishi, Atsuto, Hatori, Akiko, Chen, Jiahui, Zhang, Yiding, Hu, Kuan, Fujinaga, Masayuki, Sun, Jiyun, Yu, Qingzhen, Collier, Thomas L., Shao, Yihan, Cravatt, Benjamin F., Josephson, Lee, Zhang, Ming-Rong, Liang, Steven H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.06.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: 2-Arachidonylglycerol (2-AG); Arachidonic acid (AA); Central nervous system (CNS); Fluorine-18; Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL); Positron emission tomography (PET); Short Communication; Positron emission tomography (PET); Fluorine-18; Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL); Central nervous system (CNS); Arachidonic acid (AA); 2-Arachidonylglycerol (2-AG)
• ISSN: 2211-3835; 2211-3843
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.01.021

As a serine hydrolase, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is principally responsible for the metabolism of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to the formation of arachidonic acid (AA). Dysfunction of MAGL has been associated with multiple CNS disorders and symptoms, including neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment, epileptogenesis, nociception and neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of MAGL provides a promising therapeutic direction for the treatment of these conditions, and a MAGL positron emission tomography (PET) probe would greatly facilitate preclinical and clinical development of MAGL inhibitors. Herein, we design and synthesize a small library of fluoropyridyl-containing MAGL inhibitor candidates. Pharmacological evaluation of these candidates by activity-based protein profiling identified 14 as a lead compound, which was then radiolabeled with fluorine-18 via a facile SNAr reaction to form 2-[18F]fluoropyridine scaffold. Good blood–brain barrier permeability and high in vivo specific binding was demonstrated for radioligand [18F]14 (also named as [18F]MAGL-1902). This work may serve as a roadmap for clinical translation and further design of potent 18F-labeled MAGL PET tracers. A highly potent irreversible MAGL PET tracer [18F]14 was described, which exhibited favorable in vitro and in vivo characteristics, including excellent affinity, high brain uptake, and good binding specificity. [Display omitted]