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Santos L, Moreira JN, Abrunhosa A, Gomes C. Brain metastasis: An insight into novel molecular targets for theranostic approaches. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 198:104377. [PMID: 38710296 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104377] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases (BrM) are common malignant lesions in the central nervous system, and pose a significant threat in advanced-stage malignancies due to delayed diagnosis and limited therapeutic options. Their distinct genomic profiles underscore the need for molecular profiling to tailor effective treatments. Recent advances in cancer biology have uncovered molecular drivers underlying tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. This, coupled with the advances in molecular imaging technology and radiotracer synthesis, has paved the way for the development of innovative radiopharmaceuticals with enhanced specificity and affinity for BrM specific targets. Despite the challenges posed by the blood-brain barrier to effective drug delivery, several radiolabeled compounds have shown promise in detecting and targeting BrM. This manuscript provides an overview of the recent advances in molecular biomarkers used in nuclear imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy in both clinical and preclinical settings. Additionally, it explores potential theranostic applications addressing the unique challenges posed by BrM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Santos
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal
| | - João Nuno Moreira
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology Consortium (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal
| | - Antero Abrunhosa
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS) and Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal
| | - Célia Gomes
- Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology Consortium (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3000-548, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra 3000-075, Portugal.
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Lai J, Shah S, Martinez-Orengo N, Knight R, Alemu E, Turner ML, Wang B, Lyndaker A, Shi J, Basuli F, Hammoud DA. PET imaging of Aspergillus infection using Zirconium-89 labeled anti-β-glucan antibody fragments. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024:10.1007/s00259-024-06760-4. [PMID: 38787397 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-024-06760-4] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Invasive fungal diseases, such as pulmonary aspergillosis, are common life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients and effective treatment is often hampered by delays in timely and specific diagnosis. Fungal-specific molecular imaging ligands can provide non-invasive readouts of deep-seated fungal pathologies. In this study, the utility of antibodies and antibody fragments (Fab) targeting β-glucans in the fungal cell wall to detect Aspergillus infections was evaluated both in vitro and in preclinical mouse models. METHODS The binding characteristics of two commercially available β-glucan antibody clones and their respective antigen-binding Fabs were tested using biolayer interferometry (BLI) assays and immunofluorescence staining. In vivo binding of the Zirconium-89 labeled antibodies/Fabs to fungal pathogens was then evaluated using PET/CT imaging in mouse models of fungal infection, bacterial infection and sterile inflammation. RESULTS One of the evaluated antibodies (HA-βG-Ab) and its Fab (HA-βG-Fab) bound to β-glucans with high affinity (KD = 0.056 & 21.5 nM respectively). Binding to the fungal cell wall was validated by immunofluorescence staining and in vitro binding assays. ImmunoPET imaging with intact antibodies however showed slow clearance and high background signal as well as nonspecific accumulation in sites of infection/inflammation. Conversely, specific binding of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-HA-βG-Fab to sites of fungal infection was observed when compared to the isotype control Fab and was significantly higher in fungal infection than in bacterial infection or sterile inflammation. CONCLUSIONS [89Zr]Zr-DFO-HA-βG-Fab can be used to detect fungal infections in vivo. Targeting distinct components of the fungal cell wall is a viable approach to developing fungal-specific PET tracers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhao Lai
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Swati Shah
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Neysha Martinez-Orengo
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Rekeya Knight
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eyob Alemu
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Mitchell L Turner
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Benjamin Wang
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Anna Lyndaker
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jianfeng Shi
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Falguni Basuli
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Dima A Hammoud
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center (CC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), 10 Center Drive, Room 1C368, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Chen H, Zhang Q. Polypeptides as alternatives to PEGylation of therapeutic agents. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2024; 21:1-12. [PMID: 38116624 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2023.2297937] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Due to the concerns raised by the extensive application of PEGylation, polypeptides have stood out as excellent candidates with adequate biocompatibility and biodegradability with tunable hydrophilicity. AREAS COVERED In this review, polypeptides with the potential to replace PEGylation have been summarized and their application has been reviewed, including XTEN, PASylation, polysarcosine, zwitterion polypeptides, ELPylation, etc. Besides their strengths, the remaining challenges have also been discussed and the future perspectives have been provided. EXPERT OPINION Polypeptides have been applied in the designing of peptide/protein drugs as well as nanomedicines, and some of the pharmaceutics have made it into the clinical trials and got approved. These polypeptides showed similar hydrophilic properties to PEGylation, which increased the hydrodynamic volumes of protein drugs, reduced kidney elimination, decreased protein-polymer interaction and potentially improved the drug delivery efficiency due to the extended circulation time in the system. Moreover, they demonstrated superior biodegradability and biocompatibility, compensating for the deficiencies for polymers such as PEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huali Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qianyu Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Nguyen TTK, Pham KY, Yook S. Engineered therapeutic proteins for sustained-release drug delivery systems. Acta Biomater 2023; 171:131-154. [PMID: 37717712 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.09.018] [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: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Proteins play a vital role in diverse biological processes in the human body, and protein therapeutics have been applied to treat different diseases such as cancers, genetic disorders, autoimmunity, and inflammation. Protein therapeutics have demonstrated their advantages, such as specific pharmaceutical effects, low toxicity, and strong solubility. However, several disadvantages arise in clinical applications, including short half-life, immunogenicity, and low permeation, leading to reduced drug effectiveness. The structure of protein therapeutics can be modified to increase molecular size, leading to prolonged stability and increased plasma half-life. Notably, the controlled-release delivery systems for the sustained release of protein drugs and preserving the stability of cargo proteins are envisioned as a potential approach to overcome these challenges. In this review, we summarize recent research progress related to structural modifications (PEGylation, glycosylation, poly amino acid modification, and molecular biology-based strategies) and promising long-term delivery systems, such as polymer-based systems (injectable gel/implants, microparticles, nanoparticles, micro/nanogels, functional polymers), lipid-based systems (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers), and inorganic nanoparticles exploited for protein therapeutics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this review, we highlight recent advances concerning modifying proteins directly to enhance their stability and functionality and discuss state-of-the-art methods for the delivery and controlled long-term release of active protein therapeutics to their target site. In terms of drug modifications, four widely used strategies, including PEGylation, poly amino acid modification, glycosylation, and genetic, are discussed. As for drug delivery systems, we emphasize recent progress relating to polymer-based systems, lipid-based systems developed, and inorganic nanoparticles for protein sustained-release delivery. This review points out the areas requiring focused research attention before the full potential of protein therapeutics for human health and disease can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thoa Thi Kim Nguyen
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Khang-Yen Pham
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
| | - Simmyung Yook
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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McGale J, Khurana S, Huang A, Roa T, Yeh R, Shirini D, Doshi P, Nakhla A, Bebawy M, Khalil D, Lotfalla A, Higgins H, Gulati A, Girard A, Bidard FC, Champion L, Duong P, Dercle L, Seban RD. PET/CT and SPECT/CT Imaging of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4882. [PMID: 37568284 PMCID: PMC10419459 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12154882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2)-positive breast cancer is characterized by amplification of the HER2 gene and is associated with more aggressive tumor growth, increased risk of metastasis, and poorer prognosis when compared to other subtypes of breast cancer. HER2 expression is therefore a critical tumor feature that can be used to diagnose and treat breast cancer. Moving forward, advances in HER2 in vivo imaging, involving the use of techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), may allow for a greater role for HER2 status in guiding the management of breast cancer patients. This will apply both to patients who are HER2-positive and those who have limited-to-minimal immunohistochemical HER2 expression (HER2-low), with imaging ultimately helping clinicians determine the size and location of tumors. Additionally, PET and SPECT could help evaluate effectiveness of HER2-targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab or pertuzumab for HER2-positive cancers, and specially modified antibody drug conjugates (ADC), such as trastuzumab-deruxtecan, for HER2-low variants. This review will explore the current and future role of HER2 imaging in personalizing the care of patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy McGale
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sakshi Khurana
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alice Huang
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tina Roa
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Randy Yeh
- Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dorsa Shirini
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1985717443, Iran
| | - Parth Doshi
- Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lillington, NC 27546, USA
| | - Abanoub Nakhla
- American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Cupecoy, Sint Maarten
| | - Maria Bebawy
- Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown, NY 10940, USA
| | - David Khalil
- Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lillington, NC 27546, USA
| | - Andrew Lotfalla
- Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown, NY 10940, USA
| | - Hayley Higgins
- Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown, NY 10940, USA
| | - Amit Gulati
- Department of Internal Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, New York, NY 11219, USA
| | - Antoine Girard
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHU Amiens-Picardie, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Francois-Clement Bidard
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inserm CIC-BT 1428, Curie Institute, Paris Saclay University, UVSQ, 78035 Paris, France
| | - Laurence Champion
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Institut Curie, 92210 Saint-Cloud, France
- Laboratory of Translational Imaging in Oncology, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Institut Curie, 91401 Orsay, France
| | - Phuong Duong
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Laurent Dercle
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Romain-David Seban
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Institut Curie, 92210 Saint-Cloud, France
- Laboratory of Translational Imaging in Oncology, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Institut Curie, 91401 Orsay, France
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Altena R, Tzortzakakis A, Af Burén S, Tran TA, Frejd FY, Bergh J, Axelsson R. Current status of contemporary diagnostic radiotracers in the management of breast cancer: first steps toward theranostic applications. EJNMMI Res 2023; 13:43. [PMID: 37195374 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-023-00995-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expanding therapeutic possibilities have improved disease-related prospects for breast cancer patients. Pathological analysis on a tumor biopsy is the current reference standard biomarker used to select for treatment with targeted anticancer drugs. This method has, however, several limitations, related to intra- and intertumoral as well as spatial heterogeneity in receptor expression as well as the need to perform invasive procedures that are not always technically feasible. MAIN BODY In this narrative review, we focus on the current role of molecular imaging with contemporary radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET) in breast cancer. We provide an overview of diagnostic radiotracers that represent treatment targets, such as programmed death ligand 1, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, polyadenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase and estrogen receptor, and discuss developments in therapeutic radionuclides for breast cancer management. CONCLUSION Imaging of treatment targets with PET tracers may provide a more reliable precision medicine tool to find the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. In addition to visualization of the target of treatment, theranostic trials with alpha- or beta-emitting isotopes provide a future treatment option for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renske Altena
- Institutionen Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Medical Unit Breast, Endocrine Tumors and Sarcoma, Theme Cancer, Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Antonios Tzortzakakis
- Division of Radiology, Department for Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Functional Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Siri Af Burén
- Division of Radiology, Department for Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Functional Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Thuy A Tran
- Medical Unit Breast, Endocrine Tumors and Sarcoma, Theme Cancer, Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Affibody AB, Solna, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bergh
- Institutionen Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Medical Unit Breast, Endocrine Tumors and Sarcoma, Theme Cancer, Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Rimma Axelsson
- Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Functional Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ghosh S, Fletcher NL, Huda P, Houston ZH, Howard CB, Lund ME, Lu Y, Campbell DH, Walsh BJ, Thurecht KJ. Pharmacokinetics and Biodistribution of 89Zr-Miltuximab and Its Antibody Fragments as Glypican-1 Targeting Immuno-PET Agents in Glioblastoma. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:1549-1563. [PMID: 36602058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer, accounting for about 85% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. With standard treatment strategies like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the median survival time of patients with GBM is only 12-15 months from diagnosis. The poor prognosis of GBM is due to a very high tumor recurrence rate following initial treatment, indicating a dire need for improved diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives for this disease. Antibody-based immunotheranostics holds great promise in treating GBM, combining the theranostic applications of radioisotopes and target-specificity of antibodies. In this study, we developed and validated antibody-based positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting the heparan sulfate proteoglycan, glypican-1 (GPC-1), for noninvasive detection of disease using diagnostic molecular imaging. GPC-1 is overexpressed in multiple solid tumor types, including GBM, and is a promising biomarker for novel immunotheranostics. Here, we investigate zirconium-89 (89Zr)-conjugated Miltuximab (a clinical stage anti-GPC-1 monoclonal antibody developed by GlyTherix, Ltd.) and engineered fragments for their potential as immuno-PET tracers to detect GPC-1positive GBM tumors in preclinical models. We explore the effects of molecular size, avidity, and Fc-domain on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in vivo, by comparing in parallel the full-length antibody (Miltuximab), Fab'2, Fab, and single-chain variable fragment (scFv) formats. High radiolabeling efficiency (>95%) was demonstrated by all the formats and the stability post-radiolabeling was higher for larger constructs of Miltuximab and the Fab. Receptor-mediated internalization of all 89Zr-labeled formats was observed in a human GBM cell line in vitro, while full-length Miltuximab demonstrated the highest tumor retention (5.7 ± 0.94% ID/g, day-9 postinjection (p.i.)) and overall better tumor-to-background ratios than the smaller Fc-less formats. Results from in vivo PET image quantification and ex vivo scintillation counting were highly correlated. Altogether, 89Zr-DFO-Miltuximab appears to be an effective immuno-PET imaging agent for detecting GPC-1positive tumors such as GBM and the current results support utility of the Fc containing whole mAb format over smaller antibody fragments for this target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saikat Ghosh
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia.,ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology (CIBIT), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas L Fletcher
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Pie Huda
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Zachary H Houston
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Christopher B Howard
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
| | - Maria E Lund
- GlyTherix Ltd, Ground Floor, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, New South Wales2113, Australia
| | - Yanling Lu
- GlyTherix Ltd, Ground Floor, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, New South Wales2113, Australia
| | - Douglas H Campbell
- GlyTherix Ltd, Ground Floor, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, New South Wales2113, Australia
| | - Bradley J Walsh
- GlyTherix Ltd, Ground Floor, 75 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, New South Wales2113, Australia
| | - Kristofer J Thurecht
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia.,ARC Training Centre for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Technology (CIBIT), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland4072, Australia
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Melendez-Alafort L, Ferro-Flores G, De Nardo L, Ocampo-García B, Bolzati C. Zirconium immune-complexes for PET molecular imaging: Current status and prospects. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.215005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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9
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Biabani Ardakani J, Abedi SM, Mardanshahi A, Shojaee L, Zaboli E, Khorramimoghaddam A, Nosrati A, Sabahno H, Banimostafavi ES, Hosseinimehr SJ. Molecular Imaging of HER2 Expression in Breast Cancer patients Using the [ 99mTc] Tc-Labeled Small Peptide. Clin Breast Cancer 2023; 23:219-230. [PMID: 36581518 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2022.12.002] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The accurate determination of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status can predict response to treatment with HER2-targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer patients. [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-(Ser)3-LTVPWY ([99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY) is a small synthetic peptide molecule targeting of the HER2 receptor. This clinical study evaluated the pharmacokinetic, dosimetry, and efficacy of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY for determining the HER2 status in primary breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS In total, 24 women with suspected primary breast cancer received an intravenous injection of approximately 20 µg (∼740 MBq) of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY. In the first 3 patients, blood levels of radioactivity were analyzed for pharmacokinetic evaluation and planar gamma camera imaging was conducted at 30 min and 1, 2, 4, and 24 hour after injection for dosimetry assessment. In the last 21 patients, planar imaging was performed at the baseline, as well as 1, 2, 3, and 4 hour, followed by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging after 4 hour to evaluate the tumor-targeting potential in primary lesions. RESULTS Injection of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY was safe and well tolerated. Fast blood clearance provided high-contrast HER2 imaging within 1 to 4 hour. The highest absorbed radiation dose was found for kidneys (6.78E-03 ± 2.62E-04 mSv/MBq), followed by the heart (3.73E-03 ± 1.98E-04 mSv/MBq). The [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY peptide was able to detect HER2 status in primary tumors at an acceptable level. CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicated that [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-LY SPECT is safe and feasible for the identification of HER2-positive lesions in primary breast cancer patients, and may provide an accurate and non-invasive modality for guiding HER2 targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Biabani Ardakani
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Tissue Engineering Research Center, Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Abedi
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Alireza Mardanshahi
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Leyla Shojaee
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ehsan Zaboli
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Alireza Khorramimoghaddam
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Anahita Nosrati
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hamideh Sabahno
- Parsisotope Laboratory, Radioisotope Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahm Sadat Banimostafavi
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Seyed Jalal Hosseinimehr
- Department of Radiopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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10
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Miladinova D. Molecular imaging of HER2 receptor: Targeting HER2 for imaging and therapy in nuclear medicine. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1144817. [PMID: 36936995 PMCID: PMC10018203 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1144817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting HER 2 for imaging and therapy in nuclear medicine has been used with a special emphasis on developing more powerful radiopharmaceuticals. Zirconium-89 plays an essential role in immune PET imaging so was used labeled with anti-HER2 antibody (Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab). Also there were attempts with other PET tracers as Cuprum-64 and Galium-68, as well as SPECT radiopharmaceuticals Indium-111 and Technetium- 99m. Regarding antibody pharmacokinetic that is not quite appropriate for imaging acquisition, several smaller molecules with shorter residence times have been developed. These molecules called nanobody, affibody, minibody do not compromize HER2 receptor affinity and specificity. Excess of Trastuzumab do not block the affinity of labeled affibodies. Silica nanoparticles have been conjugated to anti-HER2 antibodies to enable targeting of HER2 expressing cells with potential of drug delivery carry for antitumor agents and b(beta) or a(alfa) emitting radioisotopes commonly used for radionuclide therapy, as Iodine-131, Lutetium-177, Yttrium-90, Rhenium-188 and Thorium-277.
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Najjari A, Shahbazmohammadi H, Nojoumi SA, Omidinia E. PASylated Urate Oxidase Enzyme: Enhancing Biocatalytic Activity, Physicochemical Properties, and Plasma Half-Life. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:46118-46130. [PMID: 36570261 PMCID: PMC9773812 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant urate oxidase (UOX, E.C.1.7.3.3) is an important therapeutic enzyme used in preventing and treating chemotherapy-induced hyperuricemia and severe gout. However, UOX use is limited due to the poor stability and short plasma half-life. To solve this problem, we designed three PASylated variants of Aspergillus flavus UOX with different PAS sequences at the C- or N-terminus. The genes of native and PASylated variants (UOX-PAS20, PAS24-UOX, and UOX-PAS100) were designed and produced in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). The expressed recombinant native and PASylated enzymes were compared in terms of biophysical properties, kinetics parameters, and pharmacokinetics behavior using standard methods. PASylation of UOX with PAS100 polymer caused a 1.24-fold reduction in K m to 52.61 μM, and a 3.87-fold increase in K cat/K m for uric acid compared to the native variant. UOX-PAS100 retained its activity in different temperatures (20-55 °C); however, other variants lost nearly 50% of their original activity at 55 °C. UOX-PAS100 exhibited a 1.78-fold increase in hydrodynamic radius and a 1.64-fold larger apparent molecular size in comparison to the native UOX. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy demonstrated that the addition of the PAS tag does not change the secondary structure of the fusion enzyme. The tryptophan fluorescence emission spectra for PASylated enzymes showed a significant modification in the conformational state of UOX by the PAS polymer presence. UOX-PAS100 retained 89.0% of the original activity following 72 h incubation in the presence of plasma at 37 °C. However, only about 61.0%, 57.0%, 50.0%, and 52.0% of activity from PAS24-UOX, UOX-PAS20, native UOX, and rasburicase (Fasturtec, Italy) remained, respectively, at the identical time. UOX-PAS100 had an increased biological half-life (8.21 h) when compared with the rasburicase (3.12 h) and native UOX (2.87 h) after being injected into a rat. Having considering everything, our results suggest that the UOX-PAS100, an A. flavus UOX fused with a C-terminally 100 amino acid PAS-residue, is a proper candidate with enhanced biological activity and extended plasma half-life for clinical therapy in patients suffering from hyperuricemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas Najjari
- Enzyme
Technology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Genetic and Metabolism
Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
| | - Hamid Shahbazmohammadi
- Cellular
and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of
Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University
of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 15315-34199, Iran
- Emails
for H.S.: ;
| | - Seyed Ali Nojoumi
- Microbiology
Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
| | - Eskandar Omidinia
- Enzyme
Technology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Genetic and Metabolism
Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
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12
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Goncalves AG, Hartzell EJ, Sullivan MO, Chen W. Recombinant protein polymer-antibody conjugates for applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114570. [PMID: 36228897 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there are over 100 antibody-based therapeutics on the market for the treatment of various diseases. The increasing importance of antibody treatment is further highlighted by the recent FDA emergency use authorization of certain antibody therapies for COVID-19 treatment. Protein-based materials have gained momentum for antibody delivery due to their biocompatibility, tunable chemistry, monodispersity, and straightforward synthesis and purification. In this review, we discuss progress in engineering the molecular features of protein-based biomaterials, in particular recombinant protein polymers, for introducing novel functionalities and enhancing the delivery properties of antibodies and related binding protein domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio G Goncalves
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Emily J Hartzell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Wilfred Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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13
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Friedrich L, Kikuchi Y, Matsuda Y, Binder U, Skerra A. Efficient secretory production of proline/alanine/serine (PAS) biopolymers in Corynebacterium glutamicum yielding a monodisperse biological alternative to polyethylene glycol (PEG). Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:227. [PMID: 36307781 PMCID: PMC9616612 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background PAS biopolymers are recombinant polypeptides comprising the small uncharged l-amino acids Pro, Ala and/or Ser which resemble the widely used poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) in terms of pronounced hydrophilicity. Likewise, their random chain behaviour in physiological solution results in a strongly expanded hydrodynamic volume. Thus, apart from their use as fusion partner for biopharmaceuticals to achieve prolonged half-life in vivo, PAS biopolymers appear attractive as substitute for PEG—or other poorly degradable chemical polymers—in many areas. As a prerequisite for the wide application of PAS biopolymers at affordable cost, we have established their highly efficient biotechnological production in Corynebacterium glutamicum serving as a well characterized bacterial host organism. Results Using the CspA signal sequence, we have secreted two representative PAS biopolymers as polypeptides with ~ 600 and ~ 1200 amino acid residues, respectively. Both PAS biopolymers were purified from the culture supernatant by means of a simple downstream process in a truly monodisperse state as evidenced by ESI–MS. Yields after purification were up to ≥ 4 g per liter culture, with potential for further increase by strain optimization as well as fermentation and bioprocess development. Beyond direct application as hydrocolloids or to exploit their rheological properties, such PAS biopolymers are suitable for site-specific chemical conjugation with pharmacologically active molecules via their unique terminal amino or carboxyl groups. To enable the specific activation of the carboxylate, without interference by the free amino group, we generated a blocked N-terminus for the PAS(1200) polypeptide simply by introducing an N-terminal Gln residue which, after processing of the signal peptide, was cyclised to a chemically inert pyroglutamyl group upon acid treatment. The fact that PAS biopolymers are genetically encoded offers further conjugation strategies via incorporation of amino acids with reactive side chains (e.g., Cys, Lys, Glu/Asp) at defined positions. Conclusions Our new PAS expression platform using Corynex® technology opens the way to applications of PASylation® technology in multiple areas such as the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics and food technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Friedrich
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Y Kikuchi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Y Matsuda
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - U Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - A Skerra
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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14
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Schilz J, Clement C, Greiner F, Skerra A. Direct Affinity Purification of Long‐Acting PASylated Proteins with Therapeutic Potential Using L‐Prolinamide for Mild Elution. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022; 61:e202200079. [PMID: 35325504 PMCID: PMC9320812 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202200079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schilz
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie Technische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan) Germany
| | - Charlotte Clement
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie Technische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan) Germany
| | - Franziska Greiner
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie Technische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan) Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie Technische Universität München Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan) Germany
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15
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Schilz J, Clement C, Greiner F, Skerra A. Direct Affinity Purification of Long‐Acting PASylated Proteins with Therapeutic Potential Using L‐Prolinamide for Mild Elution. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202200079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Schilz
- TUM: Technische Universitat Munchen Biological Chemistry GERMANY
| | | | | | - Arne Skerra
- Technische Universität München Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5 85354 Freising GERMANY
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16
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Radiopharmaceuticals developed for 89Zr-Immuno-PET. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07922-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Molecular recognition of structurally disordered Pro/Ala-rich sequences (PAS) by antibodies involves an Ala residue at the hot spot of the epitope. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167113. [PMID: 34161780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pro/Ala-rich sequences (PAS) are polypeptides that were developed as a biological alternative to poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) to generate biopharmaceuticals with extended plasma half-life. Like PEG, PAS polypeptides are conformationally disordered and show high solubility in water. Devoid of any charged or prominent hydrophobic side chains, these biosynthetic polymers represent an extreme case of intrinsically disordered proteins. Despite lack of immunogenicity of PAS tags in numerous animal studies we now succeeded in generating monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against three different PAS versions. To this end, mice were immunized with a PAS#1, P/A#1 or APSA 40mer peptide conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin as highly immunogenic carrier protein. In each case, one MAb with high binding activity and specificity towards a particular PAS motif was obtained. The apparent affinity was strongly dependent on the avidity effect and most pronounced for the bivalent MAb when interacting with a long PAS repeat. X-ray structural analysis of four representative anti-PAS Fab fragments in complex with their cognate PAS epitope peptides revealed interactions dominated by hydrogen bond networks involving the peptide backbone as well as multiple Van der Waals contacts arising from intimate shape complementarity. Surprisingly, Ala, the L-amino acid with the smallest side chain, emerged as a crucial feature for epitope recognition, contributing specific contacts at the center of the paratope in several anti-PAS complexes. Apart from these insights into how antibodies can recognize feature-less peptides without secondary structure, the MAbs characterized in this study offer valuable reagents for the preclinical and clinical development of PASylated biologics.
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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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Peplau E, De Rose F, Eichinger A, Reder S, Mittelhäuser M, Scafetta G, Schwaiger M, Weber WA, Bartolazzi A, D'Alessandria C, Skerra A. Effective rational humanization of a PASylated anti-galectin-3 Fab for the sensitive PET imaging of thyroid cancer in vivo. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7358. [PMID: 33795750 PMCID: PMC8016950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86641-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of a non-invasive test for malignant thyroid nodules makes the diagnosis of thyroid cancer (TC) challenging. Human galectin-3 (hGal3) has emerged as a promising target for medical TC imaging and diagnosis because of its exclusive overexpression in malignant thyroid tissues. We previously developed a human-chimeric αhGal3 Fab fragment derived from the rat monoclonal antibody (mAb) M3/38 with optimized clearance characteristics using PASylation technology. Here, we describe the elucidation of the hGal3 epitope recognized by mAb M3/38, X-ray crystallographic analysis of its complex with the chimeric Fab and, based on the three-dimensional structure, the rational humanization of the Fab by CDR grafting. Four CDR-grafted versions were designed using structurally most closely related fully human immunoglobulin VH/VL regions of which one-employing the acceptor framework regions of the HIV-1 neutralizing human antibody m66-showed the highest antigen affinity. By introducing two additional back-mutations to the rodent donor sequence, an affinity toward hGal3 indistinguishable from the chimeric Fab was achieved (KD = 0.34 ± 0.02 nM in SPR). The PASylated humanized Fab was site-specifically labelled with the fluorescent dye Cy7 and applied for the immuno-histochemical staining of human tissue sections representative for different TCs. The same protein was conjugated with the metal chelator Dfo, followed by radiolabelling with 89Zr(IV). The resulting protein tracer allowed the highly sensitive and specific PET/CT imaging of orthotopic tumors in mice, which was confirmed by quantitative analysis of radiotracer accumulation. Thus, the PASylated humanized αhGal3 Fab offers clinical potential for the diagnostic imaging of TC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Peplau
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Francesco De Rose
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Eichinger
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Sybille Reder
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Mittelhäuser
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Giorgia Scafetta
- Pathology Research Laboratory, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University Sapienza, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Markus Schwaiger
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Weber
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Armando Bartolazzi
- Pathology Research Laboratory, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska Hospital, 17176, Stockholm, Sweden
- Pathology Research Laboratory, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University Sapienza, via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Calogero D'Alessandria
- Klinikum rechts der Isar, Nuclear Medicine Department, Technical University Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.
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