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Barrett KE, Houson HA, Lin W, Lapi SE, Engle JW. Production, Purification, and Applications of a Potential Theranostic Pair: Cobalt-55 and Cobalt-58m. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11071235. [PMID: 34359318 PMCID: PMC8306844 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11071235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging success of [68Ga/177Lu]Ga/Lu-DOTATATE as a theranostic pair has spurred interest in other isotopes as potential theranostic combinations. Here, we review cobalt-55 and cobalt-58m as a potential theranostic pair. Radionuclidically pure cobalt-55 and cobalt-58m have been produced on small cyclotrons with high molar activity. In vitro, DOTATOC labeled with cobalt has shown greater affinity for SSTR2 than DOTATOC labeled with gallium and yttrium. Similarly, [58mCo]Co-DOTATATE has shown improved cell-killing capabilities as compared to DOTATATE labeled with either indium-111 or lutetium-177. Finally, PET imaging with an isotope such as cobalt-55 allows for image acquisition at much later timepoints than gallium, allowing for an increased degree of biological clearance of non-bound radiotracer. We discuss the accelerator targetry and radiochemistry used to produce cobalt-55,58m, emphasizing the implications of these techniques to downstream radiotracers being developed for imaging and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall E. Barrett
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53711, USA; (K.E.B.); (W.L.)
| | - Hailey A. Houson
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 619 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; (H.A.H.); (S.E.L.)
| | - Wilson Lin
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53711, USA; (K.E.B.); (W.L.)
| | - Suzanne E. Lapi
- Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 619 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; (H.A.H.); (S.E.L.)
| | - Jonathan W. Engle
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1111 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53711, USA; (K.E.B.); (W.L.)
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, USA
- Correspondence:
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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: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [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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Alekseev I, Miroslavov A, Stepanova E. Post-effects of radioactive decay in ligands on biologically active transport platforms. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2019.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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4
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Hervella P, Dam JH, Thisgaard H, Baun C, Olsen BB, Høilund-Carlsen PF, Needham D. Chelation, formulation, encapsulation, retention, and in vivo biodistribution of hydrophobic nanoparticles labelled with 57Co-porphyrin: Oleylamine ensures stable chelation of cobalt in nanoparticles that accumulate in tumors. J Control Release 2018; 291:11-25. [PMID: 30291986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION While small molecules can be used in cancer diagnosis there is a need for imageable diagnostic NanoParticles (NPs) that act as surrogates for the therapeutic NPs. Many NPs are composed of hydrophobic materials so the challenge is to formulate hydrophobic imaging agents. To develop individualized medical treatments based on NP, a first step should be the selection of patients who are likely responders to the treatment as judged by imaging tumor accumulation of NPs. This requires NPs with the same size and structure as the subsequent therapeutic NPs but labelled with a long-lived radionuclide. Cobalt isotopes are good candidates for NP labelling since 55Co has half-life of 17.5 h and positron energy of 570 keV while 57Co (t1/2 271.6 d) is an isotope suited for preclinical single photon emission tomography (SPECT) to visualize biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of NPs. We used the hydrophobic octaethyl porphyrin (OEP) to chelate cobalt and to encapsulate it inside hydrophobic liquid NPs (LNPs). We hypothesized that at least two additional hydrophobic axial ligands (oleylamine, OA) must be provided to the OEP-Co complex in order to encapsulate and retain Co inside LNP. RESULTS 1. Cobalt chelation by OEP and OA. The association constant of cobalt to OEP was 2.49 × 105 M-1 and the formation of the hexacoordinate complex OEP-Co-4OA was measured by spectroscopy. 2. NP formulation and characterization: LNPs were prepared by the fast ethanol injection method and were composed of a liquid core (triolein) surrounded by a lipid monolayer (DSPC:Cholesterol:DSPE-PEG2000). The size of the LNPs loaded with the cobalt complex was 40 ± 5 nm, 3. Encapsulation of OEP-Co-OA: The loading capacity of OEP-Co-OA in LNP was 5 mol%. 4. Retention of OEP-57Co-4OA complex in the LNPs: the positive effect of the OA ligands was demonstrated on the stability of the OEP-57Co-4OA complex, providing a half-life for retention in PBS of 170 h (7 days) while in the absence of the axial OA ligands was only 22 h. 5 Biodistribution Study: the in vivo biodistribution of LNP was studied in AR42J pancreatic tumor-bearing mice. The estimated half-life of LNPs in blood was about 7.2 h. Remarkably, the accumulation of LNPs in the tumor was as high as 9.4% ID/g 24 h after injection with a doubling time for tumor accumulation of 3.22 h. The most important result was that the nanoparticles could indeed accumulate in the AR42J tumors up to levels greater than those of other NPs previously measured in the same tumor model, and at about half the values reported for the molecular agent 57Co-DOTATATE. CONCLUSIONS The additional hydrophobic chelator OA was indeed needed to obtain a stable octahedral OEP-Co-4OA. Cobalt was actually well-retained inside LNP in the OEP-Co-4OA complex. The method described in the present work for the core-labelling of LNPs with cobalt is now ready for labeling of NPs with 55Co, or indeed other hexadentate radionuclides of interest for preclinical in vivo PET-imaging and radio-therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Hervella
- Center for Single Particle Science and Engineering (SPSE), Institute for Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences, University Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense DK-5230, Denmark; Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Travesa da Choupana s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15706, Spain.
| | - Johan Hygum Dam
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | - Helge Thisgaard
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | - Christina Baun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Brinkmann Olsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | | | - David Needham
- Center for Single Particle Science and Engineering (SPSE), Institute for Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences, University Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense DK-5230, Denmark; Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708,USA; School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
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5
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Rosestedt M, Andersson KG, Mitran B, Rinne SS, Tolmachev V, Löfblom J, Orlova A, Ståhl S. Evaluation of a radiocobalt-labelled affibody molecule for imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 expression. Int J Oncol 2017; 51:1765-1774. [PMID: 29039474 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is involved in the development of cancer resistance towards tyrosine kinase-targeted therapies. Several HER3‑targeting therapeutics are currently under clinical evaluation. Non-invasive imaging of HER3 expression could improve patient management. Affibody molecules are small engineered scaffold proteins demonstrating superior properties as targeting probes for molecular imaging compared with monoclonal antibodies. Feasibility of in vivo HER3 imaging using affibody molecules has been previously demonstrated. Preclinical studies have shown that the contrast when imaging using anti-HER3 affibody molecules can be improved over time. We aim to develop an agent for PET imaging of HER3 expression using the long-lived positron-emitting radionuclide cobalt-55 (55Co) (T1/2=17.5 h). A long-lived cobalt isotope 57Co was used as a surrogate for 55Co in this study. The anti-HER3 affibody molecule HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA was labelled with radiocobalt with high yield, purity and stability. Biodistribution of 57Co-HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA was measured in mice bearing DU145 (prostate carcinoma) and LS174T (colorectal carcinoma) xenografts at 3 and 24 h post injection (p.i.). Tumour-to-blood ratios significantly increased between 3 and 24 h p.i. (p<0.05). At 24 h p.i., tumour-to-blood ratios were 6 for DU145 and 8 for LS174T xenografts, respectively. HER3‑expressing xenografts were clearly visualized in a preclinical imaging setting already 3 h p.i., and contrast further improved at 24 h p.i. In conclusion, the radiocobalt-labelled anti-HER3 affibody molecule, HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA, is a promising tracer for imaging of HER3 expression in tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosestedt
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ken G Andersson
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bogdan Mitran
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sara S Rinne
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Valdovinos HF, Hernandez R, Graves S, Ellison PA, Barnhart TE, Theuer CP, Engle JW, Cai W, Nickles RJ. Cyclotron production and radiochemical separation of 55Co and 58mCo from 54Fe, 58Ni and 57Fe targets. Appl Radiat Isot 2017; 130:90-101. [PMID: 28946101 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2017.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This work presents the production with a cyclotron of the positron emitter 55Co via the 54Fe(d,n) and 58Ni(p,α) reactions and the Auger electron emitter 58mCo via the 57Fe(d,n) reaction after high current (40μA p and 60μA d) irradiation on electroplated targets. High specific activity radionuclides (up to 55.6 GBq/μmol 55Co and 31.8GBq/μmol 58mCo) with high radionuclidic purity (99.995% 55Co from 54Fe, 98.8% 55Co from 58Ni, and 98.7% 58mCo from 57Fe at end of bombardment, EoB), in high activity concentration (final separated radionuclide in < 0.6mL) and with almost quantitative overall activity separation yield (> 92%) were obtained after processing of the irradiated targets with novel radiochemical separation methods based on HCl dissolution and the resin N,N,N',N'-tetrakis-2-ethylhexyldiglycolamide (DGA, branched). One hour long irradiations using 38-65, 110-214 and 59-78mg of enriched 54Fe (99.93%), 58Ni (99.48%) and 57Fe (95.06%), respectively, electroplated over a 1.0cm2 surface, yielded 582 ± 66MBq 55Co, 372 ± 14MBq 55Co and 810 ± 186MBq 58mCo, respectively, decay corrected to EoB. The separation methods allow for the recovery of the costly enriched target materials, which were reconstituted into metallic targets after novel electroplating methods, with an overall recycling efficiency of 93 ± 4% for iron. The produced radionuclides were used to radiolabel the angiogenesis marker antibody TRC105 conjugated to the chelator NOTA as a demonstration of their quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- H F Valdovinos
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - R Hernandez
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - S Graves
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - P A Ellison
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - T E Barnhart
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - C P Theuer
- TRACON Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - J W Engle
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - W Cai
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R J Nickles
- Medical Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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7
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High Contrast PET Imaging of GRPR Expression in Prostate Cancer Using Cobalt-Labeled Bombesin Antagonist RM26. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2017; 2017:6873684. [PMID: 29097932 PMCID: PMC5612608 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6873684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
High gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) expression is associated with numerous cancers including prostate and breast cancer. The aim of the current study was to develop a 55Co-labeled PET agent based on GRPR antagonist RM26 for visualization of GRPR-expressing tumors. Labeling with 57Co and 55Co, stability, binding specificity, and in vitro and in vivo characteristics of 57Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 were studied. NOTA-PEG2-RM26 was successfully radiolabeled with 57Co and 55Co with high yields and demonstrated high stability. The radiopeptide showed retained binding specificity to GRPR in vitro and in vivo. 57Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 biodistribution in mice was characterized by rapid clearance of radioactivity from blood and normal non-GRPR-expressing organs and low hepatic uptake. The clearance was predominantly renal with a low degree of radioactivity reabsorption. Tumor-to-blood ratios were approximately 200 (3 h pi) and 1000 (24 h pi). The favorable biodistribution of cobalt-labeled NOTA-PEG2-RM26 translated into high contrast preclinical PET/CT (using 55Co) and SPECT/CT (using 57Co) images of PC-3 xenografts. The initial biological results suggest that 55Co-NOTA-PEG2-RM26 is a promising tracer for PET visualization of GRPR-expressing tumors.
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8
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Garousi J, Andersson KG, Dam JH, Olsen BB, Mitran B, Orlova A, Buijs J, Ståhl S, Löfblom J, Thisgaard H, Tolmachev V. The use of radiocobalt as a label improves imaging of EGFR using DOTA-conjugated Affibody molecule. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5961. [PMID: 28729680 PMCID: PMC5519605 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several anti-cancer therapies target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Radionuclide imaging of EGFR expression in tumours may aid in selection of optimal cancer therapy. The 111In-labelled DOTA-conjugated ZEGFR:2377 Affibody molecule was successfully used for imaging of EGFR-expressing xenografts in mice. An optimal combination of radionuclide, chelator and targeting protein may further improve the contrast of radionuclide imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the targeting properties of radiocobalt-labelled DOTA-ZEGFR:2377. DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 was labelled with 57Co (T1/2 = 271.8 d), 55Co (T1/2 = 17.5 h), and, for comparison, with the positron-emitting radionuclide 68Ga (T1/2 = 67.6 min) with preserved specificity of binding to EGFR-expressing A431 cells. The long-lived cobalt radioisotope 57Co was used in animal studies. Both 57Co-DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 and 68Ga-DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 demonstrated EGFR-specific accumulation in A431 xenografts and EGFR-expressing tissues in mice. Tumour-to-organ ratios for the radiocobalt-labelled DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 were significantly higher than for the gallium-labelled counterpart already at 3 h after injection. Importantly, 57Co-DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 demonstrated a tumour-to-liver ratio of 3, which is 7-fold higher than the tumour-to-liver ratio for 68Ga-DOTA-ZEGFR:2377. The results of this study suggest that the positron-emitting cobalt isotope 55Co would be an optimal label for DOTA-ZEGFR:2377 and further development should concentrate on this radionuclide as a label.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ken G Andersson
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan H Dam
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birgitte B Olsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Bogdan Mitran
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jos Buijs
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Technology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helge Thisgaard
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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9
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Fleetwood F, Klint S, Hanze M, Gunneriusson E, Frejd FY, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. Simultaneous targeting of two ligand-binding sites on VEGFR2 using biparatopic Affibody molecules results in dramatically improved affinity. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7518. [PMID: 25515662 PMCID: PMC4268634 DOI: 10.1038/srep07518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis plays an important role in cancer and ophthalmic disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family and corresponding receptors are regulators of angiogenesis and have been much investigated as therapeutic targets. The aim of this work was to generate antagonistic VEGFR2-specific affinity proteins having adjustable pharmacokinetic properties allowing for either therapy or molecular imaging. Two antagonistic Affibody molecules that were cross-reactive for human and murine VEGFR2 were selected by phage and bacterial display. Surprisingly, although both binders independently blocked VEGF-A binding, competition assays revealed interaction with non-overlapping epitopes on the receptor. Biparatopic molecules, comprising the two Affibody domains, were hence engineered to potentially increase affinity even further through avidity. Moreover, an albumin-binding domain was included for half-life extension in future in vivo experiments. The best-performing of the biparatopic constructs demonstrated up to 180-fold slower dissociation than the monomers. The new Affibody constructs were also able to specifically target VEGFR2 on human cells, while simultaneously binding to albumin, as well as inhibit VEGF-induced signaling. In summary, we have generated small antagonistic biparatopic Affibody molecules with high affinity for VEGFR2, which have potential for both future therapeutic and diagnostic purposes in angiogenesis-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippa Fleetwood
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susanne Klint
- Affibody AB, Gunnar Asplunds Allé 24, 171 63 Solna, Sweden
| | - Martin Hanze
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- 1] Affibody AB, Gunnar Asplunds Allé 24, 171 63 Solna, Sweden [2] Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Uppsala University
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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10
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Honarvar H, Strand J, Perols A, Orlova A, Selvaraju RK, Karlström AE, Tolmachev V. Position for Site-Specific Attachment of a DOTA Chelator to Synthetic Affibody Molecules Has a Different Influence on the Targeting Properties of
68
Ga-Compared to
111
In-Labeled Conjugates. Mol Imaging 2014; 13. [DOI: 10.2310/7290.2014.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hadis Honarvar
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joanna Strand
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Perols
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ram Kumar Selvaraju
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- From Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; and Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Wållberg H, Ståhl S. Design and evaluation of radiolabeled tracers for tumor imaging. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2014; 60:365-83. [PMID: 24033592 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The growing understanding of tumor biology and the identification of tumor-specific genetic and molecular alterations, such as the overexpression of membrane receptors and other proteins, allows for personalization of patient management using targeted therapies. However, this puts stringent demands on the diagnostic tools used to identify patients who are likely to respond to a particular treatment. Radionuclide molecular imaging is a promising noninvasive method to visualize and characterize the expression of such targets. A number of different proteins, from full-length antibodies and their derivatives to small scaffold proteins and peptide receptor-ligands, have been applied to molecular imaging, each demonstrating strengths and weaknesses. Here, we discuss the concept of molecular targeting and, in particular, molecular imaging of cancer-associated targets. Additionally, we describe important biotechnological considerations and desired features when designing and developing tracers for radionuclide molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Wållberg
- Division of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, AlbaNova University Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Tolmachev V, Orlova A, Andersson K. Methods for radiolabelling of monoclonal antibodies. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1060:309-30. [PMID: 24037848 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-586-6_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The use of radionuclide labels allows to study the pharmacokinetics of monoclonal antibodies, to control the specificity of their targeting and to monitor the response to an antibody treatment with high accuracy. Selection of label depends on the processing of an antibody after binding to an antigen, and on the character of information to be derived from the study (distribution of antibody in the extracellular space, target occupancy or determination of sites of metabolism). This chapter provides protocols for labelling of antibodies with iodine-125 (suitable also for other radioisotopes of iodine) and with indium-111. Since radiolabelling might damage and reduce the immunoreactive fraction and/or affinity of an antibody, the methods for assessment of these characteristics of an antibody are provided for control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Tolmachev
- Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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13
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Strand J, Honarvar H, Perols A, Orlova A, Selvaraju RK, Karlström AE, Tolmachev V. Influence of macrocyclic chelators on the targeting properties of (68)Ga-labeled synthetic affibody molecules: comparison with (111)In-labeled counterparts. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70028. [PMID: 23936372 PMCID: PMC3731330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are a class of small (7 kDa) non-immunoglobulin scaffold-based affinity proteins, which have demonstrated substantial potential as probes for radionuclide molecular imaging. The use of positron emission tomography (PET) would further increase the resolution and quantification accuracy of Affibody-based imaging. The rapid in vivo kinetics of Affibody molecules permit the use of the generator-produced radionuclide 68Ga (T1/2 = 67.6 min). Earlier studies have demonstrated that the chemical nature of chelators has a substantial influence on the biodistribution properties of Affibody molecules. To determine an optimal labeling approach, the macrocyclic chelators 1,4,7,10-tetraazacylododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N,N-triacetic acid (NOTA) and 1-(1,3-carboxypropyl)-1,4,7- triazacyclononane-4,7-diacetic acid (NODAGA) were conjugated to the N-terminus of the synthetic Affibody molecule ZHER2:S1 targeting HER2. Affibody molecules were labeled with 68Ga, and their binding specificity and cellular processing were evaluated. The biodistribution of 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1,68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 and 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1, as well as that of their 111In-labeled counterparts, was evaluated in BALB/C nu/nu mice bearing HER2-expressing SKOV3 xenografts. The tumor uptake for 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1 (17.9±0.7%IA/g) was significantly higher than for both 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1(16.13±0.67%IA/g) and 68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 (13±3%IA/g) at 2 h after injection. 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1 had the highest tumor-to-blood ratio (60±10) in comparison with both 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1 (28±4) and 68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 (42±11). The tumor-to-liver ratio was also higher for 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1 (7±2) than the DOTA and NOTA conjugates (5.5±0.6 vs.3.3±0.6). The influence of chelator on the biodistribution and targeting properties was less pronounced for 68Ga than for 111In. The results of this study demonstrate that macrocyclic chelators conjugated to the N-terminus have a substantial influence on the biodistribution of HER2-targeting Affibody molecules labeled with 68Ga.This can be utilized to enhance the imaging contrast of PET imaging using Affibody molecules and improve the sensitivity of molecular imaging. The study demonstrated an appreciable difference of chelator influence for 68Ga and 111In.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Strand
- Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hadis Honarvar
- Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Perols
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ram Kumar Selvaraju
- Preclinical PET Platform, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Honarvar H, Jokilaakso N, Andersson K, Malmberg J, Rosik D, Orlova A, Karlström AE, Tolmachev V, Järver P. Evaluation of backbone-cyclized HER2-binding 2-helix Affibody molecule for In Vivo molecular imaging. Nucl Med Biol 2013; 40:378-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2012.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Ren G, Webster JM, Liu Z, Zhang R, Miao Z, Liu H, Gambhir SS, Syud FA, Cheng Z. In vivo targeting of HER2-positive tumor using 2-helix affibody molecules. Amino Acids 2012; 43:405-13. [PMID: 21984380 PMCID: PMC4172459 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-011-1096-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Molecular imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) expression has drawn significant attention because of the unique role of the HER2 gene in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of human breast cancer. In our previous research, a novel cyclic 2-helix small protein, MUT-DS, was discovered as an anti-HER2 Affibody analog with high affinity through rational protein design and engineering. MUT-DS was then evaluated for positron emission tomography (PET) of HER2-positive tumor by labeling with two radionuclides, 68Ga and 18F, with relatively short half-life (t1/2<2 h). In order to fully study the in vivo behavior of 2-helix small protein and demonstrate that it could be a robust platform for labeling with a variety of radionuclides for different applications, in this study, MUT-DS was further radiolabeled with 64Cu or 111In and evaluated for in vivo targeting of HER2-positive tumor in mice. Design 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) conjugated MUT-DS (DOTA-MUT-DS) was chemically synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesizer and I2 oxidation. DOTA-MUT-DS was then radiolabeled with 64Cu or 111In to prepare the HER2 imaging probe (64Cu/111In-DOTA-MUT-DS). Both biodistribution and microPET imaging of the probe were evaluated in nude mice bearing subcutaneous HER2-positive SKOV3 tumors. DOTA-MUT-DS could be successfully synthesized and radiolabeled with 64Cu or 111In. Biodistribution study showed that tumor uptake value of 64Cu or 111In-labeled DOTA-MUT-DS was 4.66±0.38 or 2.17±0.15%ID/g, respectively, in nude mice bearing SKOV3 xenografts (n=3) at 1 h post-injection (p.i.). Tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-muscle ratios for 64Cu-DOTA-MUT-DS were attained to be 3.05 and 3.48 at 1 h p.i., respectively, while for 111In-DOTA-MUT-DS, they were 2.04 and 3.19, respectively. Co-injection of the cold Affibody molecule ZHER2:342 with 64Cu-DOTA-MUT-DS specifically reduced the SKOV3 tumor uptake of the probe by 48%. 111In-DOTA-MUT-DS displayed lower liver uptake at all the time points investigated and higher tumor to blood ratios at 4 and 20 h p.i., when compared with 64Cu-DOTA-MUT-DS. This study demonstrates that the 2-helix protein based probes, 64Cu/111In DOTA-MUT-DS, are promising molecular probes for imaging HER2-positive tumor. Two-helix small protein scaffold holds great promise as a novel and robust platform for imaging and therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Ren
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
| | - Jack M. Webster
- General Electric Company, Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY 12309, USA
| | - Zhe Liu
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
| | - Rong Zhang
- General Electric Company, Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY 12309, USA
| | - Zheng Miao
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
| | - Hongguang Liu
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
| | - Sanjiv S. Gambhir
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
| | - Faisal A. Syud
- General Electric Company, Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY 12309, USA
| | - Zhen Cheng
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University, California, Stanford, CA 94305-5344, USA
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Departments of Radiology, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Road, Lucas Expansion, P020A, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Altai M, Perols A, Karlström AE, Sandström M, Boschetti F, Orlova A, Tolmachev V. Preclinical evaluation of anti-HER2 Affibody molecules site-specifically labeled with 111In using a maleimido derivative of NODAGA. Nucl Med Biol 2012; 39:518-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2011.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Tetramethylcyclobutadiene)cobalt complexes of protected aromatic amino acids*. MENDELEEV COMMUNICATIONS 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mencom.2012.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Abstract
Affibody molecules are small and robust non-immunoglobulin affinity ligands capable of binding to a wide range of protein targets. They are selected from combinatorial libraries based on a 58 amino acid, three-alpha-helical Z-domain scaffold. They share no sequence or structural homologies to antibodies and in contrast to antibodies they can be functionally produced both by peptide synthesis and by recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. Protein engineering is used to adapt Affibody molecules binding to a target of interest to the specific demands imposed by the intended application. Obviously, the optimal molecule for molecular imaging will be different from the optimal molecule for therapy. Here, we describe general strategies to optimize Affibody molecules for diagnostic imaging and therapy applications.
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Direct comparison of 111In-labelled two-helix and three-helix Affibody molecules for in vivo molecular imaging. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2011; 39:693-702. [DOI: 10.1007/s00259-011-2016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Förster C, Schubert M, Pietzsch HJ, Steinbach J. Maleimido-functionalized NOTA derivatives as bifunctional chelators for site-specific radiolabeling. Molecules 2011; 16:5228-40. [PMID: 21697778 PMCID: PMC6264318 DOI: 10.3390/molecules16065228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2011] [Revised: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Two basic and simple synthetic routes for mono- and bis-maleimide bearing 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N’,N’’-triacetic acid (NOTA) chelators as new bifunctional chelators are described. The syntheses are characterized by their simplicity and short reaction times, as well as practical purification methods and acceptable to very good chemical yields. The usefulness of these two synthetic pathways is demonstrated by the preparation of a set of mono- and bis-maleimide functionalized NOTA derivatives. In conclusion, these two methods can easily be expanded to the syntheses of further tailored maleimide-NOTA chelators for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Förster
- Institute of Radiopharmacy, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, P.O. Box 510119, Dresden 01314, Germany.
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Zeglis BM, Lewis JS. A practical guide to the construction of radiometallated bioconjugates for positron emission tomography. Dalton Trans 2011; 40:6168-95. [PMID: 21442098 PMCID: PMC3773488 DOI: 10.1039/c0dt01595d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) has become a vital imaging modality in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, most notably cancer. A wide array of small molecule PET radiotracers have been developed that employ the short half-life radionuclides (11)C, (13)N, (15)O, and (18)F. However, PET radiopharmaceuticals based on biomolecular targeting vectors have been the subject of dramatically increased research in both the laboratory and the clinic. Typically based on antibodies, oligopeptides, or oligonucleotides, these tracers have longer biological half-lives than their small molecule counterparts and thus require labeling with radionuclides with longer, complementary radioactive half-lives, such as the metallic isotopes (64)Cu, (68)Ga, (86)Y, and (89)Zr. Each bioconjugate radiopharmaceutical has four component parts: biomolecular vector, radiometal, chelator, and covalent link between chelator and biomolecule. With the exception of the radiometal, a tremendous variety of choices exists for each of these pieces, and a plethora of different chelation, conjugation, and radiometallation strategies have been utilized to create agents ranging from (68)Ga-labeled pentapeptides to (89)Zr-labeled monoclonal antibodies. Herein, the authors present a practical guide to the construction of radiometal-based PET bioconjugates, in which the design choices and synthetic details of a wide range of biomolecular tracers from the literature are collected in a single reference. In assembling this information, the authors hope both to illuminate the diverse methods employed in the synthesis of these agents and also to create a useful reference for molecular imaging researchers both experienced and new to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Zeglis
- Department of Radiology and Program in Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA. Fax: (646)-888-3039; Tel: (646)-888-3038
| | - Jason S. Lewis
- Department of Radiology and Program in Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA. Fax: (646)-888-3039; Tel: (646)-888-3038
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Altai M, Wållberg H, Orlova A, Rosestedt M, Hosseinimehr SJ, Tolmachev V, Ståhl S. Order of amino acids in C-terminal cysteine-containing peptide-based chelators influences cellular processing and biodistribution of 99mTc-labeled recombinant Affibody molecules. Amino Acids 2011; 42:1975-85. [PMID: 21573874 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-011-0927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Affibody molecules constitute a novel class of molecular display selected affinity proteins based on non-immunoglobulin scaffold. Preclinical investigations and pilot clinical data have demonstrated that Affibody molecules provide high contrast imaging of tumor-associated molecular targets shortly after injection. The use of cysteine-containing peptide-based chelators at the C-terminus of recombinant Affibody molecules enabled site-specific labeling with the radionuclide 99mTc. Earlier studies have demonstrated that position, composition and the order of amino acids in peptide-based chelators influence labeling stability, cellular processing and biodistribution of Affibody molecules. To investigate the influence of the amino acid order, a series of anti-HER2 Affibody molecules, containing GSGC, GEGC and GKGC chelators have been prepared and characterized. The affinity to HER2, cellular processing of 99mTc-labeled Affibody molecules and their biodistribution were investigated. These properties were compared with that of the previously studied 99mTc-labeled Affibody molecules containing GGSC, GGEC and GGKC chelators. All variants displayed picomolar affinities to HER2. The substitution of a single amino acid in the chelator had an appreciable influence on the cellular processing of 99mTc. The biodistribution of all 99mTc-labeled Affibody molecules was in general comparable, with the main difference in uptake and retention of radioactivity in excretory organs. The hepatic accumulation of radioactivity was higher for the lysine-containing chelators and the renal retention of 99mTc was significantly affected by the amino acid composition of chelators. The order of amino acids influenced renal uptake of some conjugates at 1 h after injection, but the difference decreased at later time points. Such information can be helpful for the development of other scaffold protein-based imaging and therapeutic radiolabeled conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Altai
- Division of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Department of Radiology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
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Hofstrom C, Orlova A, Altai M, Wangsell F, Graslund T, Tolmachev V. Use of a HEHEHE purification tag instead of a hexahistidine tag improves biodistribution of affibody molecules site-specifically labeled with (99m)Tc, (111)In, and (125)I. J Med Chem 2011; 54:3817-26. [PMID: 21524142 DOI: 10.1021/jm200065e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Affibody molecules are a class of small (∼7 kDa) robust scaffold proteins suitable for radionuclide molecular imaging in vivo. The attachment of a hexahistidine (His(6))-tag to the Affibody molecule allows facile purification by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) but leads to high accumulation of radioactivity in the liver. Earlier, we have demonstrated that replacement of the His(6)-tag with the negatively charged histidine-glutamate-histidine-glutamate-histidine-glutamate (HEHEHE)-tag permits purification of Affibody molecules by IMAC, enables labeling with [(99m)Tc(CO)(3)](+), and provides low hepatic accumulation of radioactivity. In this study, we compared the biodistribution of cysteine-containing Affibody molecules site-specifically labeled with (111)In, (99m)Tc, and (125)I at the C-terminus, having a His(6)-tag at the N- or C-terminus or a HEHEHE-tag at the N-terminus. We show that the use of a HEHEHE-tag provides appreciable reduction of hepatic radioactivity, especially for radiometal labels. We hope that this information can also be useful for development of other scaffold protein-based imaging agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Hofstrom
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Tolmachev V, Altai M, Sandström M, Perols A, Karlström AE, Boschetti F, Orlova A. Evaluation of a maleimido derivative of NOTA for site-specific labeling of affibody molecules. Bioconjug Chem 2011; 22:894-902. [PMID: 21443270 DOI: 10.1021/bc100470x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Radionuclide molecular imaging has the potential to improve cancer treatment by selection of patients for targeted therapy. Affibody molecules are a class of small (7 kDa) high-affinity targeting proteins with appreciable potential as molecular imaging probes. The NOTA chelator forms stable complexes with a number of radionuclides suitable for SPECT or PET imaging. A maleimidoethylmonoamide NOTA (MMA-NOTA) has been prepared for site-specific labeling of Affibody molecules having a unique C-terminal cysteine. Coupling of the MMA-NOTA to the anti-HER2 Affibody molecule Z(HER2:2395) resulted in a conjugate with an affinity (dissociation constant) to HER2 of 72 pM. Labeling of [MMA-NOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) with (111)In gave a yield of >95% after 20 min at 60 °C. In vitro cell tests demonstrated specific binding of [(111)In-MMA-NOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) to HER2-expressing cell lines. In mice bearing prostate cancer DU-145 xenografts, the tumor uptake of [(111)In-MMA-NOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) was 8.2 ± 0.9% IA/g and the tumor-to-blood ratio was 31 ± 1 (4 h postinjection). DU-145 xenografts were clearly visualized by a gamma camera. Direct in vivo comparison of [(111)In-MMA-NOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) and [(111)In-MMA-DOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) demonstrated that both conjugates provided equal radioactivity uptake in tumors, but the tumor-to-organ ratios were better for [(111)In-MMA-NOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) due to more efficient clearance from normal tissues. In conclusion, coupling of MMA-NOTA to a cysteine-containing Affibody molecule resulted in a site-specifically labeled conjugate, which retains high affinity, can be efficiently labeled, and allows for high-contrast imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Tolmachev
- Unit of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Ahlgren S, Andersson K, Tolmachev V. Kit formulation for 99mTc-labeling of recombinant anti-HER2 Affibody molecules with a C-terminally engineered cysteine. Nucl Med Biol 2010; 37:539-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2010.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2009] [Revised: 02/07/2010] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Löfblom J, Feldwisch J, Tolmachev V, Carlsson J, Ståhl S, Frejd F. Affibody molecules: Engineered proteins for therapeutic, diagnostic and biotechnological applications. FEBS Lett 2010; 584:2670-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 406] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2010] [Revised: 04/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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A HER2-binding Affibody molecule labelled with 68Ga for PET imaging: direct in vivo comparison with the 111In-labelled analogue. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2010; 37:1356-67. [DOI: 10.1007/s00259-009-1367-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Imaging of EGFR expression in murine xenografts using site-specifically labelled anti-EGFR 111In-DOTA-Z EGFR:2377 Affibody molecule: aspect of the injected tracer amount. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2009; 37:613-22. [PMID: 19838701 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-009-1283-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2009] [Accepted: 09/13/2009] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a prognostic and predictive biomarker in a number of malignant tumours. Radionuclide molecular imaging of EGFR expression in cancer could influence patient management. However, EGFR expression in normal tissues might complicate in vivo imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate if optimization of the injected protein dose might improve imaging of EGFR expression in tumours using a novel EGFR-targeting protein, the DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) Affibody molecule. METHODS An anti-EGFR Affibody molecule, Z(EGFR:2377), was labelled with (111)In via the DOTA chelator site-specifically conjugated to a C-terminal cysteine. The affinity of DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) for murine and human EGFR was measured by surface plasmon resonance. The cellular processing of (111)In-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) was evaluated in vitro. The biodistribution of radiolabelled Affibody molecules injected in a broad range of injected Affibody protein doses was evaluated in mice bearing EGFR-expressing A431 xenografts. RESULTS Site-specific coupling of DOTA provided a uniform conjugate possessing equal affinity for human and murine EGFR. The internalization of (111)In-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) by A431 cells was slow. In vivo, the conjugate accumulated specifically in xenografts and in EGFR-expressing tissues. The curve representing the dependence of tumour uptake on the injected Affibody protein dose was bell-shaped. The highest specific radioactivity (lowest injected protein dose) provided a suboptimal tumour-to-blood ratio. The results of the biodistribution study were confirmed by gamma-camera imaging. CONCLUSION The (111)In-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) Affibody molecule is a promising tracer for radionuclide molecular imaging of EGFR expression in malignant tumours. Careful optimization of protein dose is required for high-contrast imaging of EGFR expression in vivo.
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