sup 68^Ga-Triacetylfusarinine C and ^sup 68^Ga-Ferrioxamine E for Aspergillus Infection Imaging: Uptake Specificity in Various Microorganisms

^sup 68^Ga-triacetylfusarinine C (^sup 68^Ga-TAFC) and ^sup 68^Ga-ferrioxamine E (^sup 68^Ga-FOXE) showed excellent targeting properties in Aspergillus fumigatus rat infection model. Here, we report on the comparison of specificity towards different microorganisms and human lung cancer cells (H1299). The in vitro uptake of ^sup 68^Ga-TAFC and ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE was studied in various fungal, bacterial and yeast cultures as well as in H1299 cells. The in vivo imaging was studied in fungal and bacterial rat infection and inflammation models. ^sup 68^Ga-TAFC and ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE showed rapid uptake in A. fumigatus cultures, significantly lower in other fungal species and almost no uptake in other microorganisms and H1299 cells, except for ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE in Staphylococcus aureus. ^sup 68^Ga-TAFC and ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE revealed rapid uptake in the lungs of A. fumigatus-infected rats, low accumulation in sterile inflammation and no uptake in bacterial abscess. We have shown that ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE and ^sup 68^Ga-TAFC have high uptake in A. fumigatus both in vitro and in vivo. ^sup 68^Ga-TAFC showed higher specificity, while ^sup 68^Ga-FOXE showed higher sensitivity.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]