# IMAT‐ITCR Collaboration: Preclinical Evaluation of Novel Bisphosphonate PET Probes for Myeloma Bone Disease

> **NIH NIH U24** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $78,750

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignancy of mature plasma cells, is the second most common hematologic
malignancy. Myeloma bone disease (MBD) is a devastating complication of MM. More than 80% of MM patients
suffer from destructive bone lesions, leading to severe pain, pathologic fractures, mobility issues, and
neurological deficits. MBD is not only a main cause of disability and morbidity in MM patients but also dramatically
increases the cost of management. While recent advances in MM therapy have significantly increased the
median survival of newly diagnosed patients, osteolytic lesions and their sequelae continue to be a major source
of patient morbidity and mortality, and bone pain is the most frequent presenting symptom of MM patients. Rapid
improvements in imaging technology now allow physicians to identify ever-smaller osteolytic lesions and bone
marrow abnormalities, however, the clinical value of anatomic findings is not always clear. Therefore, earlier
detection and more specific non-invasive assessment of treatment response are urgently needed, to assist in
the clinical decision-making process and enable treatment optimization for the individual patient (“personalized
medicine”).
 The objective of this IMAT-ITCR collaborative project is to evaluate novel 18F-labeled bisphosphonate
(BP) probes for PET imaging of MBD in preclinical models, with potentially significant advantages over existing
imaging agents, such as 18F-NaF. In parallel, we will develop quantitative imaging strategies to enhance the
accuracy of PET imaging of MBD. It is a highly interdisciplinary project, bridging BP chemistry, radiochemistry,
and quantitative PET imaging to detect early osteolytic lesions in animal models of MM. Implementation of this
proposal will be based on a collaboration led by the PIs, Drs. Chen and McKenna at the University of Southern
California (USC) and Dr. Shoghi at the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis. Dr.
McKenna will expand the new chemistry discovered in his laboratory to rapidly and efficiently introduce fluorine
into the P-C-P backbone of BP and then will work with Dr. Chen's group to optimize the 18F radiolabeling
procedure. Dr. Chen will validate the newly developed 18F-labeled BP probes for the detection of osteolytic
lesions in rodent models of MM. To support quantitative imaging of bone lesions, Dr. Shoghi will develop
quantitative imaging pipelines to enhance the accuracy of PET imaging data derived from the bone marrow.
These pipelines will enhance the capabilities of the preclinical imaging informatics platform developed through
the ITCR grant to enhance the imaging data analysis. Taken together, the results will establish a solid foundation
for ultimate clinical translation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10461632
- **Project number:** 3U24CA253531-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Scott Marcus
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $78,750
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10461632

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10461632, IMAT‐ITCR Collaboration: Preclinical Evaluation of Novel Bisphosphonate PET Probes for Myeloma Bone Disease (3U24CA253531-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10461632. Licensed CC0.

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