Anaerobic 90Y- and 177Lu-labeling of a DOTA-conjugated nonpeptide vitronectin receptor antagonist

Integrin targeted delivery of radiotherapeutics

Targeted radionuclide therapy, which is based on the selective delivery of a sufficient radiation dose to tumors without significantly affecting normal tissues, is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of a wide variety of malignancies. Integrins, a family of cell adhesion molecules, play key roles during tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Among all the integrins, αvβ3 seems to be the most important in the process of tumor angiogenesis. Integrin αvβ3 is highly expressed on activated endothelial cells, new-born vessels as well as some tumor cells, but is not present in resting endothelial cells and most normal organ systems, making it a suitable target for anti-tumor therapy. In this review, we summarize the current development and applications of antibody-, peptide-, and other ligand-based integrin targeted radiotherapeutics for tumor radiation therapy.

In vivo targeting of dead tumor cells in a murine tumor model using a monoclonal antibody specific for the La autoantigen

PURPOSE

To investigate the potential of the La-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3B9 as an in vivo tumor-targeting agent.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The murine EL4 lymphoma cell line was used for in vitro studies and the EL4 model in which apoptosis was induced with cyclophosphamide and etoposide was used for in vivo studies. In vitro studies compared 3B9 binding in the EL4 cell with that in its counterpart primary cell type of the thymocyte. For in vivo studies, 3B9 was intrinsically or extrinsically labeled with carbon-14 or 1,4,7,10-tetra-azacylododecane-N,N',N'',N''''-tetraacetic acid-indium-111, respectively, and biodistribution of the radiotracers was investigated in EL4 tumor-bearing mice, which were treated or not with chemotherapy.

RESULTS

La-specific 3B9 mAb bound EL4 cells rather than thymocytes, and binding was detergent resistant. 3B9 binding to dead EL4 cells in vitro was specific, rapid, and saturable. Significantly, more 3B9 bound dead EL4 tumor explant cells after host mice were treated with chemotherapy, which suggested that DNA damage induced 3B9 binding. Tumor binding of 3B9 in vivo was antigen specific and increased significantly after chemotherapy. Tumor accumulation of 3B9 peaked at approximately 50% of the injected dose per gram of tumor 72 h after chemotherapy and correlated with increased tumor cell death. Tumor/organ ratios of 3B9 biodistribution, which included the tumor/blood ratio, exceeded unity 48 or more hours after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

La-specific mAb selectively targeted dead tumor cells in vivo, and targeting was augmented by cytotoxic chemotherapy. This novel cell death radioligand may be useful both for radioimmunoscintigraphy and radioimmunotherapy.

RGD-based strategies for selective delivery of therapeutics and imaging agents to the tumour vasculature

During the past decade, RGD-peptides have become a popular tool for the targeting of drugs and imaging agents to alphavbeta3-integrin expressing tumour vasculature. RGD-peptides have been introduced by recombinant means into therapeutic proteins and viruses. Chemical means have been applied to couple RGD-peptides and RGD-mimetics to liposomes, polymers, peptides, small molecule drugs and radiotracers. Some of these products show impressive results in preclinical animal models and a RGD targeted radiotracer has already successfully been tested in humans for the visualization of alphavbeta3-integrin, which demonstrates the feasibility of this approach. This review will summarize the structural requirements for RGD-peptides and RGD-mimetics as ligands for alphavbeta3. We will show how they have been introduced in the various types of constructs by chemical and recombinant techniques. The importance of multivalent RGD-constructs for high affinity binding and internalization will be highlighted. Furthermore the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of RGD-targeted therapeutics and diagnostics reported in recent years will be reviewed.

Synthesis, in vitro, and in vivo characterization of an integrin alpha(v)beta(3)-targeted molecular probe for optical imaging of tumor

Integrin alpha(v)beta(3) is a widely-recognized target for the development of targeted molecular probes for imaging pathological conditions. alpha(v)beta(3) is a cell-surface receptor protein that is upregulated in various pathological conditions including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration, and cancer. The synthesis of an alpha(v)beta(3)-targeted optical probe 7 from compound 1, and its in vitro and in vivo characterization is described. A series of aliphatic carbamate derivatives of the potent non-peptide integrin antagonist 1 was synthesized and the binding affinity to alpha(v)beta(3) was determined in both enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and cell adhesion inhibition assays. The hydrophobic carbamate-linked appendages improved the binding affinity of the parent compound for alpha(v)beta(3) by 2-20 times. A Boc-protected neopentyl derivative in the series is shown to have the best binding affinity to alpha(v)beta(3) (IC(50)=0.72 nM) when compared to compound 1 as well as to c-RGDfV. Optical probe 7 utilizes the neopentyl linker and demonstrates increased binding affinity and significant tumor cell uptake in vitro as well as specific tumor accumulation and retention in vivo. These results illustrate the potential of employing integrin-targeted molecular probes based on 1 to image a multitude of diseases associated with alpha(v)beta(3) overexpression.

Human alphavbeta3 integrin potency and specificity of TA138 and its DOTA conjugated form (89)Y-TA138

The present study was undertaken to define the alphavbeta3-binding potency and specificity of TA138, a nonpeptide integrin antagonist, and its conjugated form, 89Y-TA138. Various integrin-specific binding and functional assays as well as cell-adhesion assays were used to determine the potency and integrin specificity for TA138 and 89Y-TA138. Both TA138 and 89Y-TA138 inhibited alphavbeta3-mediated [125I]echistatin binding to 293-beta3-transfected cells, with IC50 values of 0.046 and 0.059 microM, respectively, and IC50 values of 0.012 and 0.018 microM, respectively, in inhibiting an alphavbeta3 integrin-mediated 293-beta3-transfected cell adhesion to fibrinogen. TA138 inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell adhesion to fibrinogen, with an IC50 value of 0.052 +/- 0.006 microM. Both TA138 and 89Y-TA138 demonstrated a relatively high degree of specificity for human alphavbeta3 integrin as compared with other human integrins, including alphavbeta5, alphaIIbbeta3, and alpha5beta1 (IC50 > 10 microM). Both 89Y-TA138 and TA138 demonstrated comparable alphavbeta3 affinity and specificity as compared with other closely related human integrins such as alphavbeta5, alphaIIbbeta3, or alpha5beta1.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Structures of Indium In(DTPA-BA2) and Yttrium Y(DTPA-BA2)(CH3OH) Complexes (BA = Benzylamine): Models for111In- and90Y-Labeled DTPA-Biomolecule Conjugates

To explore structural differences in In3+, Y3+, and Lu3+ chelates, we prepared M(DTPA-BA2) complexes (M = In, Y, and Lu; DTPA-BA2 = N,N' '-bis(benzylcarbamoylmethyl)diethylenetriamine-N,N',N' '-triacetic acid) by reacting the trisodium salt of DTPA-BA2 with 1 equiv of metal chloride or nitrate. All three complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, HPLC, IR, ES-MS, and NMR (1H and 13C) methods. ES-MS spectral and elemental analysis data are consistent with the proposed formula for M(DTPA-BA2) (M = In, Y, and Lu) and have been confirmed by the X-ray crystal structures of both In(DTPA-BA2) x 2H2O and Y(DTPA-BA2)(CH3OH) complexes. By a reversed-phase HPLC method, it was found that In(DTPA-BA2) is more hydrophilic than M(DTPA-BA2) (M = Y and Lu), most likely due to the dissociation of the two carbonyl oxygen donors in solution. The X-ray crystal structure of In(DTPA-BA2) revealed a rare example of an eight-coordinated In3+ complex with DTPA-BA2 bonding to the In3+ in a distorted square antiprism coordination geometry. Both benzylamine groups are in the trans position relative to the acetate-chelating arm that is attached to the central N atom. The Y3+ in Y(DTPA-BA2)(CH3OH) is nine-coordinated with an octadentate DTPA-BA2 and a methanol oxygen. The coordination geometry is best described as a tricapped trigonal prism. One benzylamine group is trans and the other cis to the acetate-chelating arm that is attached to the central N atom. All three M(DTPA-BA2) complexes (M = In, Y, and Lu) exist as at least three isomers in solution (approximately 10 mM), as shown by the presence of 6-8 overlapped 1H NMR signals from the methylene hydrogens of the benzylamine groups. The coordinated DTPA-BA2 remains rigid even at temperatures > 85 degrees C. The exchange rate between different isomers in M(DTPA-BA2) (M = In, Y, and Lu) is relatively slow at high concentrations (> 1.0 mM), but it is fast due to the partial dissociation and rapid interconversion of different isomers at lower concentrations ( approximately 10 mircroM). It is not surprising that M(DTPA-BA2) complexes (M = In, Y, and Lu) appear as a single peak in their respective HPLC chromatogram.