Tailoring Fibroblast-Activation Protein Targeting for Theranostics: A Comparative Preclinical Evaluation of the 68Ga- and 177Lu-Labeled Monomeric and Dimeric Fibroblast-Activation Protein Inhibitors DOTA.SA.FAPi and DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)2

Background: FAP radiopharmaceuticals show promise for cancer diagnosis; however, their limited tumor residency hinders treatment. This study compared two FAPi derivatives, DOTA.SA.FAPi and DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2), labeled with gallium-68 and lutetium-177, aiming to determine an optimum combination for creating theranostic pairs. Methods: The radiotracers were studied for lipophilicity, binding to human serum proteins, and binding to human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in vitro, including saturation and internalization/externalization studies. PET/SPECT/CT and biodistribution studies were conducted in PC3 and U87MG xenografts for [Ga-68]Ga-DOTA.SA.FAPi and [Ga-68]Ga-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2). [Lu-177]Lu-DOTA.SA.FAPi and [Lu-177]Lu-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2), were evaluated in PC3 xenografts. Biodistribution studies of [Ga-68]Ga-DOTA.SA.FAPi were performed in healthy male and female mice. Results: All radiotracers exhibited strong binding to FAP. Their internalization rate was fast while only [Lu-177]Lu-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) was retained longer in CAFs. [Ga-68]Ga-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) and [Lu-177]Lu-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) displayed elevated lipophilicity and affinity for human serum proteins compared to [Ga-68]Ga-DOTA.SA.FAPi and [Lu-177]Lu-DOTA.SA.FAPi. In vivo studies revealed slower washout of [Ga-68]Ga-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) within 3 h compared to [Ga-68]Ga-DOTA.SA.FAPi. The tumor-to-tissue ratios of [Ga-68]Ga-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) versus [Ga-68]Ga-DOTA.SA.FAPi did not exhibit any significant differences. [Lu-177]Lu-DOTAGA.(SA.FAPi)(2) maintained a significant tumor uptake even after 96 h p.i. compared to [Lu-177]Lu-DOTA.SA.FAPi. Conclusions: Dimeric compounds hold promise for therapy, while monomers are better suited for diagnostics. Finding the right combination is essential for effective disease management.