posted on 2018-11-28, 00:00authored byBenjamin
P. Burke, William Grantham, Michael J. Burke, Gary. S. Nichol, David Roberts, Isaline Renard, Rebecca Hargreaves, Christopher Cawthorne, Stephen J. Archibald, Paul J. Lusby
Noncovalent
encapsulation is an attractive approach for modifying
the efficacy and physiochemical properties of both therapeutic and
diagnostic species. Abiotic self-assembled constructs have shown promise,
yet many hurdles between in vitro and (pre)clinical
studies remain, not least the challenges associated with maintaining
the macromolecular, hollow structure under nonequilibrium conditions.
Using a kinetically robust CoIII4L6 tetrahedron we now show the feasibility of encapsulating the most
widely used precursor in clinical nuclear diagnostic imaging, the
γ-emitting [99mTc]TcO4– anion, under conditions compatible with in vivo administration. Subsequent single-photon emission computed tomography
imaging of the caged-anion reveals a marked change in the biodistribution
compared to the thyroid-accumulating free oxo-anion, thus moving clinical
applications of (metallo)supramolecular species a step closer.