Dr. Thomas L. Mindt and Xabier Guarrochena in the laboratory at the University of Vienna’s Institute of Inorganic Chemistry.
Dr. Thomas L. Mindt, Professor of Bioinorganic Radiochemistry at the University of Vienna’s Institute of Inorganic Chemistry since 2020, is also a co-founder of the Ludwig Boltzman Institute Applied Diagnostics. There, he led the Imaging Biomarkers program from 2016 to 2023. Previously, he was a Professor in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Basel, Switzerland. His research focuses on developing new diagnostic probes and therapeutics for applications in nuclear oncology.
Tom approached Biotage to explore the potential for automated peptide synthesis in his special application, including click chemistry methods.
Can you tell me about your background in this field?
Our experience is in developing new radiolabeled peptides for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in nuclear oncology. We synthesize a wide variety of peptidic radiotracers and investigate their potential for clinical applications. The use of the Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ microwave peptide synthesizer enables not only the rapid synthesis of the peptidic vector, but it is also useful for the conjugation of chelators commonly used in nuclear medicine, such as DOTA and DTPA.
In our latest studies, we also investigated the automated incorporation of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles in peptide backbones. These trans-amide bond bio-isosteres enable the synthesis of peptidomimetics with enhanced metabolic stability and improved tumor-targeting properties in vivo. We have reported for the first time the incorporation of these aromatic heterocycles in the peptide backbone using the
Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ microwave synthesizer.
The combination of well-established SPPS methodology with click chemistry (CuAAc) supported by a robust microwave peptide synthesizer has proven to be highly efficient and reliable to obtain triazolo-peptidomimetics in high yields and purities.
How has the microwave peptide synthesizer impacted your ability to automate the synthesis of triazolo-peptidomimetics and other structurally diverse peptides?
The Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ microwave peptide synthesizer proved game-changing in performing automated solid-phase peptide synthesis and automated synthesis of triazolo- peptidomimetics. Although manual synthesis of backbone- modified triazolo-peptidomimetics has been reported by us and others, we were the first to describe such a protocol using fully automated peptide synthesis.
In our experience, the Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ facilitates the rapid synthesis of structurally diverse peptides. The versatility of this system is not limited to the synthesis of conventional peptides, but also extends to the efficient, cost-effective synthesis of peptidomimetics.
What factors influenced your decision to choose this product?
It was Biotage´s strong reputation for customer service. Additionally, the technical discussions with the Biotage team and assistance throughout the project confirmed the choice of the system and support before and after the acquisition of the system.
In our experience, the Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ is more robust and less prone to malfunction than other systems on the market.
Can you provide examples of aspects where this product performs particularly well?
The Biotage® Initiator+ Alstra™ is a highly reliable, microwave- assisted peptide synthesizer. The use of this peptide synthesizer is intuitive and learning to operate it is straightforward. The instrument works reliably without major issues, and the micro- wave function promotes the fast formation of new amide bonds.
Literature Number: PPS761
