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Bozorgchami N, Ahmadzadeh M, Hatamabadi D, Yazdani A, Shahhosseini S, Mohit E. Preparation, Characterization, and Radiolabeling of Anti-HER2 scFv With Technetium Tricarbonyl and Stability Studies. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 2024; 67:168-179. [PMID: 38485465 DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.4090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common diagnosed cancer, and the second cause of cancer death among women, worldwide. HER2 overexpression occurred in approximately 15% to 20% of breast cancers. Invasive biopsy method has been used for detection of HER2 overexpression. HER2-targeted imaging via an appropriate radionuclide is a promising method for sensitive and accurate identification of HER2+ primary and metastatic lesions. 99mTc-anti-HER2 scFv can specifically target malignancies and be used for diagnosis of the cancer type and metastasis as well as treatment of breast cancer. We radiolabeled anti-HER2 scFv that was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified through Ni-NTA resin under native condition with 99mTc-tricarbonyl formed from boranocarbonate. HER2-based ELISA, BCA, TLC, and HPLC were used in this study. In the current study, anti-HER2 scFv was lyophilized before radiolabeling. It was found that freeze-drying did not change the binding activity of anti-HER2 scFv to HER2. Results demonstrated direct anti-HER2 scFv radiolabeling by 99mTc-tricarbonyl to hexahistidine sequence (His-tag) without any changes in biological activity and radiochemical purity of around 98%. Stability analysis revealed that 99mTc-anti-HER2 scFv is stable for at least 24 h in PBS buffer, normal saline, human plasma proteins, and histidine solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Bozorgchami
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ahmadzadeh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center, Food and Drug Administration, The Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Dara Hatamabadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolreza Yazdani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soraya Shahhosseini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Radiopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Protein Technology Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Mohit
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Oroujeni M, Carlqvist M, Ryer E, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Frejd FY. Comparison of approaches for increasing affinity of affibody molecules for imaging of B7-H3: dimerization and affinity maturation. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:30. [PMID: 38625607 PMCID: PMC11021382 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00261-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radionuclide molecular imaging can be used to visualize the expression levels of molecular targets. Affibody molecules, small and high affinity non-immunoglobulin scaffold-based proteins, have demonstrated promising properties as targeting vectors for radionuclide tumour imaging of different molecular targets. B7-H3 (CD276), an immune checkpoint protein belonging to the B7 family, is overexpressed in different types of human malignancies. Visualization of overexpression of B7-H3 in malignancies enables stratification of patients for personalized therapies. Affinity maturation of anti-B7-H3 Affibody molecules as an approach to improve the binding affinity and targeting properties was recently investigated. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a dimeric format may be an alternative option to increase the apparent affinity of Affibody molecules to B7-H3 and accordingly improve imaging contrast. RESULTS Two dimeric variants of anti-B7-H3 Affibody molecules were produced (designated ZAC12*-ZAC12*-GGGC and ZAC12*-ZTaq_3-GGGC). Both variants were labelled with Tc-99m (99mTc) and demonstrated specific binding to B7-H3-expressing cells in vitro. [99mTc]Tc-ZAC12*-ZAC12*-GGGC showed subnanomolar affinity (KD1=0.28 ± 0.10 nM, weight = 68%), which was 7.6-fold higher than for [99mTc]Tc-ZAC12*-ZTaq_3-GGGC (KD=2.1 ± 0.9 nM). Head-to-head biodistribution of both dimeric variants of Affibody molecules compared with monomeric affinity matured SYNT-179 (all labelled with 99mTc) in mice bearing B7-H3-expressing SKOV-3 xenografts demonstrates that both dimers have lower tumour uptake and lower tumour-to-organ ratios compared to the SYNT-179 Affibody molecule. CONCLUSION The improved functional affinity by dimerization does not compensate the disadvantage of increased molecular size for imaging purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden.
- Affibody AB, Solna, 171 65, Sweden.
| | | | - Eva Ryer
- Affibody AB, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 83, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, 751 85, Sweden
- Affibody AB, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
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Larkina M, Varvashenya R, Yuldasheva F, Plotnikov E, Bezverkhniaia E, Tretyakova M, Zelchan R, Schulga A, Konovalova E, Vorobyeva A, Belousov M, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Deyev S. Comparative Preclinical Evaluation of HYNIC-Modified Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins G3 for the 99mTc-Based Imaging of HER2-Expressing Malignant Tumors. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1919-1932. [PMID: 38557163 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
HER2 status determination is a necessary step for the proper choice of therapy and selection of patients for the targeted treatment of cancer. Targeted radiotracers such as radiolabeled DARPins provide a noninvasive and effective way for the molecular imaging of HER2 expression. This study aimed to evaluate tumor-targeting properties of three 99mTc-labeled DARPin G3 variants containing Gly-Gly-Gly-Cys (G3C), (Gly-Gly-Gly-Ser)3-Cys ((G3S)3C), or Glu-Glu-Glu-Cys (E3C) amino acid linkers at the C-terminus and conjugated to the HYNIC chelating agent, as well as to compare them with the clinically evaluated DARPin G3 labeled with 99mTc(CO)3 using the (HE)3-tag at the N-terminus. The labeling of DARPin G3-HYNIC variants provided radiochemical yields in the range of 50-80%. Labeled variants bound specifically to human HER2-expressing cancer cell lines with affinities in the range of 0.5-3 nM. There was no substantial influence of the linker and HYNIC chelator on the binding of 99mTc-labeled DARPin G3 variants to HER2 in vitro; however, [99mTc]Tc-G3-(G3S)3C-HYNIC had the highest affinity. Comparative biodistribution of [99mTc]Tc-G3-G3C-HYNIC, [99mTc]Tc-G3-(G3S)3C-HYNIC, [99mTc]Tc-G3-E3C-HYNIC, and [99mTc]Tc-(HE)3-G3 in healthy CD1 mice showed that there was a strong influence of the linkers on uptake in normal tissues. [99mTc]Tc-G3-E3C-HYNIC had an increased retention of activity in the liver and the majority of other organs compared to the other conjugates. The tumor uptake of [99mTc]Tc-G3-(G3S)3C-HYNIC and [99mTc]Tc-(HE)3-G3 in Nu/j mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts was similar. The specificity of tumor targeting in vivo was demonstrated for both tracers. [99mTc]Tc-G3-(G3S)3C-HYNIC provided comparable, although slightly lower tumor-to-lung, tumor-to spleen and tumor-to-liver ratios than [99mTc]Tc-(HE)3-G3. Radiolabeling of DARPin G3-HYNIC conjugates with 99mTc provided the advantage of a single-step radiolabeling procedure; however, the studied HYNIC conjugates did not improve imaging contrast compared to the 99mTc-tricarbonyl-labeled DARPin G3. At this stage, [99mTc]Tc-(HE)3-G3 remains the most promising candidate for the clinical imaging of HER2-overexpressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Larkina
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ruslan Varvashenya
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Feruza Yuldasheva
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Evgenii Plotnikov
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Maria Tretyakova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Roman Zelchan
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Alexey Schulga
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Konovalova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mikhail Belousov
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 75185 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sergey Deyev
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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Oroujeni M, Bezverkhniaia EA, Xu T, Liu Y, Plotnikov EV, Klint S, Ryer E, Karlberg I, Orlova A, Frejd FY, Tolmachev V. Evaluation of affinity matured Affibody molecules for imaging of the immune checkpoint protein B7-H3. Nucl Med Biol 2023; 124-125:108384. [PMID: 37699299 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2023.108384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
B7-H3 (CD276), an immune checkpoint protein, is a promising molecular target for immune therapy of malignant tumours. Sufficient B7-H3 expression level is a precondition for successful therapy. Radionuclide molecular imaging is a powerful technique for visualization of expression levels of molecular targets in vivo. Use of small radiolabelled targeting proteins would enable high-contrast radionuclide imaging of molecular targets if adequate binding affinity and specificity of an imaging probe could be provided. Affibody molecules, small engineered affinity proteins based on a non-immunoglobulin scaffold, have demonstrated an appreciable potential in radionuclide imaging. Proof-of principle of radionuclide visualization of expression levels of B7-H3 in vivo was demonstrated using the [99mTc]Tc-AC12-GGGC Affibody molecule. We performed an affinity maturation of AC12, enabling selection of clones with higher affinity. Three most promising clones were expressed with a -GGGC (triglycine-cysteine) chelating sequence at the C-terminus and labelled with technetium-99m (99mTc). 99mTc-labelled conjugates bound to B7-H3-expressing cells specifically in vitro and in vivo. Biodistribution in mice bearing B7-H3-expressing SKOV-3 xenografts demonstrated improved imaging properties of the new conjugates compared with the parental variant [99mTc]Tc-AC12-GGGC. [99mTc]Tc-SYNT-179 provided the strongest improvement of tumour-to-organ ratios. Thus, affinity maturation of B7-H3 Affibody molecules could improve biodistribution and targeting properties for imaging of B7-H3-expressing tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden.
| | - Ekaterina A Bezverkhniaia
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; Scientific and Research Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk 634050, Russia; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Yongsheng Liu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Evgenii V Plotnikov
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | | | - Eva Ryer
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden.
| | | | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden.
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia.
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Radiosynthesis, optimization and pharmacokinetic study of the 99m Tc-labeled human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 affibody molecule probe 99m Tc-(HE) 3 Z HER2:V2. Nucl Med Commun 2023; 44:244-251. [PMID: 36598155 PMCID: PMC9994805 DOI: 10.1097/mnm.0000000000001660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To prepare a single-photon molecular probe easily labeled with 99m Tc for evaluating the expression status of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptor in ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The HEHEHE tag was added to the amino terminus of the affibody Z HER2:V2 by the method of gene recombinant expression, and a new affibody was synthesized which was easy to be labeled with 99m Tc. The newly prepared affibody was labeled with 99m Tc, and pharmacokinetic studies were carried out. RESULTS A new affibody (HE) 3 Z HER2:V2 was prepared by the method of gene recombination and expression, which is easy to be labeled with 99m Tc. The 99m Tc labeling of the affibody can reach about 95% at 90°C. The pharmacokinetic study has shown that the 99m Tc-labeled molecular probe has a fast clearance time in the blood and little side effect, which may be a promising single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging agent. CONCLUSION The affibody (HE) 3 Z HER2:V2 is easy to be labeled with 99m Tc, has a high yield and has a suitable half-life in vivo, which is suitable for the next step in ovarian cancer model imaging research.
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Liang Z, Hu X, Hu H, Wang P, Cai J. Novel small 99mTc-labeled affibody molecular probe for PD-L1 receptor imaging. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1017737. [PMID: 36387113 PMCID: PMC9643847 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1017737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The in vivo imaging of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) can monitor changes in PD-L1 expression and guide programmed death 1 (PD-1) or PD-L1-targeted immune checkpoint therapy. A 99mTc-labeled affibody molecular probe targeting the PD-L1 receptor was prepared and evaluated its tracing effect in PD-L1-overexpressing colon cancer. METHODS The PD-L1 affibody was prepared by genetic recombineering. The 99mTc labeling of the affibody was achieved by sodium glucoheptonate and an SnCl2 labeling system. The labeling rate, radiochemical purity, and stability in vitro were determined by instant thin-layer chromatography; MC38-B7H1 (PD-L1-positive) and MC38 (PD-L1-negative) colon cancer cells were used to evaluate its affinity to PD-L1 by cell-binding experiments. The biodistribution of the 99mTc-labeled affibody molecular probe was then determined in C57BL/6J mice bearing MC38-B7H1 tumors, and tumor targeting was assessed in C57BL/6J mice with MC38-B7H1, MC38 double xenografts. RESULT The nondecayed corrected yield of the 99mTc-PD-L1 affibody molecular probe was 95.95% ± 1.26%, and showed good stability both in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and fetal bovine serum within 6 h. The affinity of the 99mTc-PD-L1 affibody molecular probe for cell-binding assays was 10.02 nmol/L. Single photon emission-computed tomography imaging showed a rapid uptake of the tracer in PD-L1-positive tumors and very little tracer retention in PD-L1-negative control tumors. The tracer was significantly retained in the kidneys and bladder, suggesting that it is mainly excreted through the urinary system. Heart, liver, lung, and muscle tissue showed no significant radioactive retention. The biodistribution in vitro also showed significant renal retention, a small amount of uptake in the thyroid and gastrointestinal tract, and rapid blood clearance, and the tumor-to-blood radioactivity uptake ratio peaked 120 min after drug injection. CONCLUSION The 99mTc-PD-L1 affibody molecular probe that we prepared can effectively target to PD-L1-positive tumors imaging in vivo, and clear in blood quickly, with no obvious toxic side effects, which is expected to become a new type of tracer for detecting PD-L1 expression in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pan Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Jiong Cai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
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Shi L, Chen B, Liu T, Li L, Hu B, Li C, Jia B, Wang F. 99mTc-CD3813: A Nanobody-Based Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Radiotracer with Clinical Potential for Myeloma Imaging and Evaluation of CD38 Expression. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:2583-2594. [PMID: 35696536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Daratumumab (DARA) is an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The tumor CD38 expression level is one of the important factors in determining the efficacy of DARA treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent clinical need for a noninvasive tool to evaluate the CD38 levels in cancer patients before, during, and after DARA treatment. In this study, we prepared a new molecular imaging probe 99mTc-CD3813, the 99mTc-labeled nanobody CD3813, for noninvasive imaging of CD38 expression by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We evaluated 99mTc-CD3813 for its CD38 affinity and specificity and its capacity to image the CD38 expression in the MM and lymphoma xenografts models. 99mTc-CD3813 SPECT/CT is able to visualize subcutaneous/orthotopic myeloma lesions in animal models and has advantages over 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography. Excess DARA has less impact on its tumor uptake (3.14 ± 0.83 vs 2.29 ± 0.91 %ID/g, n.s.), strongly suggesting that there is no competition between 99mTc-CD3813 and DARA in binding to CD38. 99mTc-CD3813 SPECT/CT revealed significant reduction in CD38 expression in the Ramos-bearing mice under DARA treatment, as evidenced by their reduced tumor uptake (3.04 ± 0.70 vs 1.07 ± 0.28 %ID/cc, P < 0.001). 99mTc-CD3813 SPECT/CT was also able to detect the increased tumor uptake (0.79 ± 0.29 vs 2.12 ± 0.12 %ID/cc, P < 0.001) due to the upregulation of CD38 levels caused by all-trans retinoic acid infection. 99mTc-CD3813 is a promising SPECT radiotracer for imaging the CD38-positive tumors and has clinical potential as a molecular imaging tool for evaluation of the CD38 expression level in patients before, during, and after DARA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqing Shi
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Chengdu NBbiolab Co., Ltd., Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Tianyu Liu
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Liqiang Li
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Biao Hu
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Chenzhen Li
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Bing Jia
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.,Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China
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Rinne SS, Orlova A, Tolmachev V. PET and SPECT Imaging of the EGFR Family (RTK Class I) in Oncology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073663. [PMID: 33915894 PMCID: PMC8036874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human epidermal growth factor receptor family (EGFR-family, other designations: HER family, RTK Class I) is strongly linked to oncogenic transformation. Its members are frequently overexpressed in cancer and have become attractive targets for cancer therapy. To ensure effective patient care, potential responders to HER-targeted therapy need to be identified. Radionuclide molecular imaging can be a key asset for the detection of overexpression of EGFR-family members. It meets the need for repeatable whole-body assessment of the molecular disease profile, solving problems of heterogeneity and expression alterations over time. Tracer development is a multifactorial process. The optimal tracer design depends on the application and the particular challenges of the molecular target (target expression in tumors, endogenous expression in healthy tissue, accessibility). We have herein summarized the recent preclinical and clinical data on agents for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) imaging of EGFR-family receptors in oncology. Antibody-based tracers are still extensively investigated. However, their dominance starts to be challenged by a number of tracers based on different classes of targeting proteins. Among these, engineered scaffold proteins (ESP) and single domain antibodies (sdAb) show highly encouraging results in clinical studies marking a noticeable trend towards the use of smaller sized agents for HER imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara S. Rinne
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (S.S.R.); (A.O.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (S.S.R.); (A.O.)
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-704-250-782
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9
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Oroujeni M, Rinne SS, Vorobyeva A, Loftenius A, Feldwisch J, Jonasson P, Chernov V, Orlova A, Frejd FY, Tolmachev V. Preclinical Evaluation of 99mTc-ZHER2:41071, a Second-Generation Affibody-Based HER2-Visualizing Imaging Probe with a Low Renal Uptake. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052770. [PMID: 33803361 PMCID: PMC7967187 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Radionuclide imaging of HER2 expression in tumours may enable stratification of patients with breast, ovarian, and gastroesophageal cancers for HER2-targeting therapies. A first-generation HER2-binding affibody molecule [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:V2 demonstrated favorable imaging properties in preclinical studies. Thereafter, the affibody scaffold has been extensively modified, which increased its melting point, improved storage stability, and increased hydrophilicity of the surface. In this study, a second-generation affibody molecule (designated ZHER2:41071) with a new improved scaffold has been prepared and characterized. HER2-binding, biodistribution, and tumour-targeting properties of [99mTc]Tc-labelled ZHER2:41071 were investigated. These properties were compared with properties of the first-generation affibody molecules, [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:V2 and [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:2395. [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:41071 bound specifically to HER2 expressing cells with an affinity of 58 ± 2 pM. The renal uptake for [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:41071 and [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:V2 was 25–30 fold lower when compared with [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:2395. The uptake in tumour and kidney for [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:41071 and [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:V2 in SKOV-3 xenografts was similar. In conclusion, an extensive re-engineering of the scaffold did not compromise imaging properties of the affibody molecule labelled with 99mTc using a GGGC chelator. The new probe, [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:41071 provided the best tumour-to-blood ratio compared to HER2-imaging probes for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) described in the literature so far. [99mTc]Tc-ZHER2:41071 is a promising candidate for further clinical translation studies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacokinetics
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Female
- Humans
- Kidney/diagnostic imaging
- Kidney/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Nude
- Neoplasms, Experimental/diagnostic imaging
- Neoplasms, Experimental/drug therapy
- Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism
- Radiopharmaceuticals/chemical synthesis
- Radiopharmaceuticals/chemistry
- Radiopharmaceuticals/pharmacokinetics
- Radiopharmaceuticals/pharmacology
- Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism
- Technetium/chemistry
- Technetium/pharmacokinetics
- Technetium/pharmacology
- Tissue Distribution
- Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (F.Y.F.); (V.T.)
| | - Sara S. Rinne
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (F.Y.F.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
| | | | | | - Per Jonasson
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (A.L.); (J.F.); (P.J.)
| | - Vladimir Chernov
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center Russian Academy of Sciences, 634009 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-073-9922846
| | - Fredrik Y. Frejd
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (F.Y.F.); (V.T.)
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden; (A.L.); (J.F.); (P.J.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (F.Y.F.); (V.T.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden;
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10
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Uehara T, Kanazawa N, Suzuki C, Mizuno Y, Suzuki H, Hanaoka H, Arano Y. Renal Handling of 99mTc-Labeled Antibody Fab Fragments with a Linkage Cleavable by Enzymes on Brush Border Membrane. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:2618-2627. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoya Uehara
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Naoki Kanazawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Chie Suzuki
- Preeminent Medical Photonics, Education & Research Center, Hamamatsu University, School of Medicine, 1-20-1, Higashi-ku, Hamamtsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Yuki Mizuno
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Hanaoka
- Department of Bioimaging Information Analysis, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan
| | - Yasushi Arano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
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11
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Garousi J, von Witting E, Borin J, Vorobyeva A, Altai M, Vorontsova O, Konijnenberg MW, Oroujeni M, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Hober S. Radionuclide therapy using ABD-fused ADAPT scaffold protein: Proof of Principle. Biomaterials 2020; 266:120381. [PMID: 33120197 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecular recognition in targeted therapeutics is typically based on immunoglobulins. Development of engineered scaffold proteins (ESPs) has provided additional opportunities for the development of targeted therapies. ESPs offer inexpensive production in prokaryotic hosts, high stability and convenient approaches to modify their biodistribution. In this study, we demonstrated successful modification of the biodistribution of an ESP known as ADAPT (Albumin-binding domain Derived Affinity ProTein). ADAPTs are selected from a library based on the scaffold of ABD (Albumin Binding Domain) of protein G. A particular ADAPT, the ADAPT6, binds to human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) with high affinity. Preclinical and early clinical studies have demonstrated that radiolabeled ADAPT6 can image HER2-expression in tumors with high contrast. However, its rapid glomerular filtration and high renal reabsorption have prevented its use in radionuclide therapy. To modify the biodistribution, ADAPT6 was genetically fused to an ABD. The non-covalent binding to the host's albumin resulted in a 14-fold reduction of renal uptake and appreciable increase of tumor uptake for the best variant, 177Lu-DOTA-ADAPT6-ABD035. Experimental therapy in mice bearing HER2-expressing xenografts demonstrated more than two-fold increase of median survival even after a single injection of 18 MBq 177Lu-DOTA-ADAPT6-ABD035. Thus, a fusion with ABD and optimization of the molecular design provides ADAPT derivatives with attractive targeting properties for radionuclide therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emma von Witting
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesper Borin
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden; Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Vorontsova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark W Konijnenberg
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-75185, Uppsala, Sweden; Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia.
| | - Sophia Hober
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Jia D, Yang Y, Yuan F, Fan Q, Wang F, Huang Y, Song H, Hu P, Wang R, Li G, Liu R, Li J. Increasing the antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin liposomes with coupling an anti-EGFR affibody in EGFR-expressing tumor models. Int J Pharm 2020; 586:119541. [PMID: 32544521 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a wide range of solid tumors. In this study, we exploited a high-affinity EGFR-antagonistic affibody (ZEGFR) coupled to a doxorubicin loaded pegylated liposome (LS-Dox) for concurrent passive and active targeting of EGFR+ A431 tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro studies revealed that the Dox liposomes coupled with ZEGFR (AS-Dox) showed a higher Dox uptake than LS-Dox in EGFR+ A431 cells but not in EGFR- B16F10 cells, resulting in a selectively enhanced cytotoxicity. In vivo, AS-Dox confirmed its long circulation time and efficient accumulation in tumors. This targeted chemotherapy achieved greater tumor suppression. Further, this low-dose but effective targeted treatment reduced systemic toxicity such as body weight loss and organ injury demonstrated by H&E staining. Thus, selective targeting of LS-Dox coupled with ZEGFR enhanced antitumor effects and improved systemic safety. These results demonstrated that LS-Dox coupled with ZEGFR might be developed as a potential tool for therapy of EGFR+ tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianlong Jia
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Yujiao Yang
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Fengjiao Yuan
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Medicine Research, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
| | - Qing Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, PR China.
| | - Feifei Wang
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Yujiao Huang
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Hao Song
- The Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Liaocheng University/ Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Ping Hu
- Zhong Yuan Academy of Biological Medicine, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Rui Wang
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Guangyong Li
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Renmin Liu
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China
| | - Jun Li
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmacy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, PR China.
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13
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Imaging using radiolabelled targeted proteins: radioimmunodetection and beyond. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2020; 5:16. [PMID: 32577943 PMCID: PMC7311618 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-020-00094-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of radiolabelled antibodies was proposed in 1970s for staging of malignant tumours. Intensive research established chemistry for radiolabelling of proteins and understanding of factors determining biodistribution and targeting properties. The use of radioimmunodetection for staging of cancer was not established as common practice due to approval and widespread use of [18F]-FDG, which provided a more general diagnostic use than antibodies or their fragments. Expanded application of antibody-based therapeutics renewed the interest in radiolabelled antibodies. RadioimmunoPET emerged as a powerful tool for evaluation of pharmacokinetics of and target engagement by biotherapeutics. In addition to monoclonal antibodies, new radiolabelled engineered proteins have recently appeared, offering high-contrast imaging of expression of therapeutic molecular targets in tumours shortly after injection. This creates preconditions for noninvasive determination of a target expression level and stratification of patients for targeted therapies. Radiolabelled proteins hold great promise to play an important role in development and implementation of personalised targeted treatment of malignant tumours. This article provides an overview of biodistribution and tumour-seeking features of major classes of targeting proteins currently utilized for molecular imaging. Such information might be useful for researchers entering the field of the protein-based radionuclide molecular imaging.
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14
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Affibody Molecules as Targeting Vectors for PET Imaging. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030651. [PMID: 32168760 PMCID: PMC7139392 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small (58 amino acids) engineered scaffold proteins that can be selected to bind to a large variety of proteins with a high affinity. Their small size and high affinity make them attractive as targeting vectors for molecular imaging. High-affinity affibody binders have been selected for several cancer-associated molecular targets. Preclinical studies have shown that radiolabeled affibody molecules can provide highly specific and sensitive imaging on the day of injection; however, for a few targets, imaging on the next day further increased the imaging sensitivity. A phase I/II clinical trial showed that 68Ga-labeled affibody molecules permit an accurate and specific measurement of HER2 expression in breast cancer metastases. This paper provides an overview of the factors influencing the biodistribution and targeting properties of affibody molecules and the chemistry of their labeling using positron emitters.
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15
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Cai J, Li X, Mao F, Wang P, Luo Y, Zheng K, Li F, Zhu Z. Non-Invasive Monitoring of HER2 Expression in Breast Cancer Patients with 99mTc-Affibody SPECT/CT. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY 2020; 17. [DOI: 10.5812/iranjradiol.96419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
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16
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Increase in negative charge of 68Ga/chelator complex reduces unspecific hepatic uptake but does not improve imaging properties of HER3-targeting affibody molecules. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17710. [PMID: 31776413 PMCID: PMC6881397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54149-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Upregulation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) is a common mechanism to bypass HER-targeted cancer therapy. Affibody-based molecular imaging has the potential for detecting and monitoring HER3 expression during treatment. In this study, we compared the imaging properties of newly generated 68Ga-labeled anti-HER3 affibody molecules (HE)3-ZHER3-DOTA and (HE)3-ZHER3-DOTAGA with previously reported [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-NODAGA. We hypothesized that increasing the negative charge of the gallium-68/chelator complex would reduce hepatic uptake, which could lead to improved contrast of anti-HER3 affibody-based PET-imaging of HER3 expression. (HE)3-ZHER3-X (X = DOTA, DOTAGA) were produced and labeled with gallium-68. Binding of the new conjugates was specific in HER3 expressing BxPC-3 and DU145 human cancer cells. Biodistribution and in vivo specificity was studied in BxPC-3 xenograft bearing Balb/c nu/nu mice 3 h pi. DOTA- and DOTAGA-containing conjugates had significantly higher concentration in blood than [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-NODAGA. Presence of the negatively charged 68Ga-DOTAGA complex reduced the unspecific hepatic uptake, but did not improve overall biodistribution of the conjugate. [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-DOTAGA and [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-NODAGA had similar tumor-to-liver ratios, but [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-NODAGA had the highest tumor uptake and tumor-to-blood ratio among the tested conjugates. In conclusion, [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-ZHER3-NODAGA remains the favorable variant for PET imaging of HER3 expression.
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17
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Incorporation of a Hydrophilic Spacer Reduces Hepatic Uptake of HER2-Targeting Affibody-DM1 Drug Conjugates. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081168. [PMID: 31416167 PMCID: PMC6721809 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small affinity-engineered scaffold proteins which can be engineered to bind to desired targets. The therapeutic potential of using an affibody molecule targeting HER2, fused to an albumin-binding domain (ABD) and conjugated with the cytotoxic maytansine derivate MC-DM1 (AffiDC), has been validated. Biodistribution studies in mice revealed an elevated hepatic uptake of the AffiDC, but histopathological examination of livers showed no major signs of toxicity. However, previous clinical experience with antibody drug conjugates have revealed a moderate- to high-grade hepatotoxicity in treated patients, which merits efforts to also minimize hepatic uptake of the AffiDCs. In this study, the aim was to reduce the hepatic uptake of AffiDCs and optimize their in vivo targeting properties. We have investigated if incorporation of hydrophilic glutamate-based spacers adjacent to MC-DM1 in the AffiDC, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-MC-DM1, would counteract the hydrophobic nature of MC-DM1 and, hence, reduce hepatic uptake. Two new AffiDCs including either a triglutamate-spacer-, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-E3-MC-DM1, or a hexaglutamate-spacer-, (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-E6-MC-DM1 next to the site of MC-DM1 conjugation were designed. We radiolabeled the hydrophilized AffiDCs and compared them, both in vitro and in vivo, with the previously investigated (ZHER2:2891)2-ABD-MC-DM1 drug conjugate containing no glutamate spacer. All three AffiDCs demonstrated specific binding to HER2 and comparable in vitro cytotoxicity. A comparative biodistribution study of the three radiolabeled AffiDCs showed that the addition of glutamates reduced drug accumulation in the liver while preserving the tumor uptake. These results confirmed the relation between DM1 hydrophobicity and liver accumulation. We believe that the drug development approach described here may also be useful for other affinity protein-based drug conjugates to further improve their in vivo properties and facilitate their clinical translatability.
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18
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Preclinical Evaluation of [ 68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377: A Promising Affibody-Based Probe for Noninvasive PET Imaging of EGFR Expression in Tumors. Cells 2018; 7:cells7090141. [PMID: 30231504 PMCID: PMC6162391 DOI: 10.3390/cells7090141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Radionuclide imaging of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in tumors may stratify patients for EGFR-targeting therapies and predict response or resistance to certain treatments. Affibody molecules, which are nonimmunoglobulin scaffold proteins, have a high potential as probes for molecular imaging. In this study, maleimido derivative of desferrioxamine B (DFO) chelator was site-specifically coupled to the C-terminal cysteine of the anti-EGFR affibody molecule ZEGFR:2377, and the DFO-ZEGFR:2377 conjugate was labeled with the generator-produced positron-emitting radionuclide 68Ga. Stability, specificity of binding to EGFR-expressing cells, and processing of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 by cancer cells after binding were evaluated in vitro. In vivo studies were performed in nude mice bearing human EGFR-expressing A431 epidermoid cancer xenografts. The biodistribution of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 was directly compared with the biodistribution of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-ZEGFR:2377. DFO-ZEGFR:2377 was efficiently (isolated yield of 73 ± 3%) and stably labeled with 68Ga. Binding of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 to EGFR-expressing cells in vitro was receptor-specific and proportional to the EGFR expression level. In vivo saturation experiment demonstrated EGFR-specific accumulation of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 in A431 xenografts. Compared to [89Zr]Zr-DFO-ZEGFR:2377, [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) higher uptake in tumors and lower uptake in spleen and bones. This resulted in significantly higher tumor-to-organ ratios for [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377. In conclusion, [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 is a promising probe for imaging of EGFR expression.
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