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First ex vivo study demonstrating that 99mTc-NTP 15-5 radiotracer binds to human articular cartilage

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Abstract

Purpose

Preclinical data pointed to 99mTc-NTP 15-5 as a good candidate for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of cartilaginous disease. We set out to investigate and quantify 99mTc-NTP 15-5 ex vivo uptake by human articular cartilage relative to bone 99mTc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate (HMDP) radiotracer.

Methods

Three osteoarthritic human tibial plateaux and four tibiofemoral joints were incubated with 99mTc-NTP 15-5 and 99mTc-HMDP for 2 h. Affinity of tracers for cartilage was determined by visual analysis of SPECT/CT acquisitions and measurement of cartilage to cortical bone uptake ratios.

Results

Cartilage to cortical bone uptake ratios were 3.90 ± 2.35 and 0.76 ± 0.24, respectively, for 99mTc-NTP 15-5 and 99mTc-HMDP radiotracers. Visual analysis of fused SPECT/CT slices showed selective, intense 99mTc-NTP 15-5 accumulation in articular cartilage, whereas 99mTc-HMDP binding was low. Interestingly, a cartilage defect visualized on CT was clearly associated with focal decreased uptake of 99mTc-NTP 15-5.

Conclusion

The tracer 99mTc-NTP 15-5 is of major interest for human cartilage molecular imaging and could find clinical applications in osteoarthritis staging and monitoring.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Regional Innovation Fund “Oseo” and the Research Medical Foundation “FRM”.

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Correspondence to Florent Cachin.

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ESM 1

Three-dimensional SPECT/CT fused volume of a human femur incubated with 99mTc-NTP 15-5, a new tracer able to link the cartilage proteoglycans. Note the high accumulation of 99mTc-NTP 15-5 over the cartilage surface of the patella and the two condyles (MPG 1550 kb)

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Cachin, F., Boisgard, S., Vidal, A. et al. First ex vivo study demonstrating that 99mTc-NTP 15-5 radiotracer binds to human articular cartilage. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 38, 2077–2082 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-011-1890-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-011-1890-1

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