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Grega SD, Zheng DX, Zheng QH. Imaging ligands targeting glypican-3 receptor expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING 2022; 12:113-121. [PMID: 36072763 PMCID: PMC9441927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer mortality. Early detection of HCC is important since potentially curative therapies exist in the initial stages of HCC; no curative therapies exist for late-stage HCC. However, the initial detection of HCC remains challenging due to the lack of symptoms during the early stage of the disease. Other methods of screening and detecting HCC, including blood serum tests and conventional imaging methods, remain inadequate due to genetic differences between patients and the high background activity of liver tissues. Thus, there is a need for an accurate imaging agent for the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis of HCC. Glypican-3 (GPC3) is an oncofetal receptor responsible for regulating cell division, growth, and survival. GPC3 is a clinically relevant biomarker for imaging and therapeutics, as its expression is HCC tumor-specific and absent from normal and other pathological liver tissues. The development of novel GPC3-targeting imaging agents has encompassed three classes of biomolecules: peptides, antibodies, and aptamers. These biomolecules serve as constructs for diagnostic imaging (demonstrating potential as positron emission tomography [PET], single-photon emission tomography [SPECT], and optical imaging agents) and HCC treatment delivery. More than 20 unique ligands have been identified in the literature as showing specificity for the GPC3 receptor. Although several ligands are currently under clinical investigation as therapies for HCC, clinical translation of GPC3-targeting ligands as imaging agents is lacking. This review highlights the current landscape of ligands targeting GPC3 and describes their promising possibilities as imaging agents for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun D Grega
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, IN, USA
| | - David X Zheng
- Department of Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineCleveland, OH, USA
| | - Qi-Huang Zheng
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, IN, USA
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Wu X, Meng X, Chang TS, Feng S, Lee M, Jaiswal S, Choi EYK, Tran L, Jiang H, Wang TD. Multi-modal imaging for uptake of peptide ligand specific for CD44 by hepatocellular carcinoma. PHOTOACOUSTICS 2022; 26:100355. [PMID: 35479192 PMCID: PMC9035732 DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2022.100355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising steadily in incidence, and more effective methods are needed for early cancer detection and image-guided surgery. METHODS We used a structural model to optimize the peptide sequence. Specific binding was validated in vitro with knockdown, competition, and co-localization assays. Multi-modal imaging was performed to validate specific binding in vivo in orthotopically-implanted human xenograft tumors. RESULTS Binding properties of WKGWSYLWTQQA were characterized by an apparent dissociation constant of kd = 43 nM, and an apparent association time constant of k = 0.26 min-1. The target-to-background ratio was significantly higher for the target versus control for both modalities. Ex-vivo evaluation using human HCC specimens supported the ability of the peptide to distinguish HCC from other liver pathologies. CONCLUSIONS We have identified a peptide specific for CD44 with properties that are promising for clinical translation to image HCC in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Meng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Tse-Shao Chang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shuo Feng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Miki Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sangeeta Jaiswal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Eun-Young K. Choi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lam Tran
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Thomas D. Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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