1
|
van Leeuwen FWB, Buckle T, van Oosterom MN, Rietbergen DDD. The Rise of Molecular Image-Guided Robotic Surgery. J Nucl Med 2024:jnumed.124.267783. [PMID: 38991755 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.124.267783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Following early acceptance by urologists, the use of surgical robotic platforms is rapidly spreading to other surgical fields. This empowerment of surgical perception via robotic advances occurs in parallel to developments in intraoperative molecular imaging. Convergence of these efforts creates a logical incentive to advance the decades-old image-guided robotics paradigm. This yields new radioguided surgery strategies set to optimally exploit the symbiosis between the growing clinical translation of robotics and molecular imaging. These strategies intend to advance surgical precision by increasing dexterity and optimizing surgical decision-making. In this state-of-the-art review, topic-related developments in chemistry (tracer development) and engineering (medical device development) are discussed, and future scientific robotic growth markets for molecular imaging are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fijs W B van Leeuwen
- Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; and
| | - Tessa Buckle
- Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; and
| | - Matthias N van Oosterom
- Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; and
| | - Daphne D D Rietbergen
- Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; and
- Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Meng L, Fang J, Zhang J, Li H, Xia D, Zhuang R, Chen H, Huang J, Li Y, Zhang X, Guo Z. Rational Design and Comparison of Novel 99mTc-Labeled FAPI Dimers for Visualization of Multiple Tumor Types. J Med Chem 2024; 67:8460-8472. [PMID: 38717104 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Recognizing the significance of SPECT in nuclear medicine and the pivotal role of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in cancer diagnosis and therapy, this study focuses on the development of 99mTc-labeled dimeric HF2 with high tumor uptake and image contrast. The dimeric HF2 was synthesized and radiolabeled with 99mTc in one pot using various coligands (tricine, TPPTS, EDDA, and TPPMS) to yield [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF2, [99mTc]Tc-EDDA-HF2, and [99mTc]Tc-TPPMS-HF2 dimers. SPECT imaging results indicated that [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF2 exhibited higher tumor uptake and tumor-to-normal tissue (T/NT) ratio than [99mTc]Tc-EDDA-HF2 and [99mTc]Tc-TPPMS-HF2. Notably, [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF2 exhibited remarkable tumor accumulation and retention in HT-1080-FAP and U87-MG tumor-bearing mice, thereby surpassing the monomeric [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF. Moreover, [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF2 achieved acceptable T/NT ratios in the hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived xenograft (HCC-PDX) model, which provided identifiable contrast and imaging quality. In conclusion, this study presents proof-of-concept research on 99mTc-labeled FAP inhibitor dimers for the visualization of multiple tumor types. Among these candidate compounds, [99mTc]Tc-TPPTS-HF2 showed excellent clinical potential, thereby enriching the SPECT tracer toolbox.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingxin Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jianyang Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Jingru Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Huifeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Dongsheng Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Rongqiang Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Haojun Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & Minnan PET Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Jinxiong Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & Minnan PET Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Yesen Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & Minnan PET Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China
| | - Xianzhong Zhang
- Theranostics and Translational Research Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Zhide Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, 4221-116 Xiang'An South Rd, Xiamen 361102, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Boschi A, Urso L, Uccelli L, Martini P, Filippi L. 99mTc-labeled FAPI compounds for cancer and inflammation: from radiochemistry to the first clinical applications. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:36. [PMID: 38695960 PMCID: PMC11065808 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00264-0] [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: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, fibroblast activating protein (FAP), a biomarker overexpressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts, has emerged as one of the most promising biomarkers in oncology. Similarly, FAP overexpression has been detected in various fibroblast-mediated inflammatory conditions such as liver cirrhosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Along this trajectory, FAP-targeted positron emission tomography (PET), utilizing FAP inhibitors (FAPi) labeled with positron emitters, has gained traction as a powerful imaging approach in both cancer and inflammation. However, PET represents a high-cost technology, and its widespread adoption is still limited compared to the availability of gamma cameras. To address this issue, several efforts have been made to explore the potential of [99mTc]Tc-FAPi tracers as molecular probes for imaging with gamma cameras and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). MAIN BODY Several approaches have been investigated for labeling FAPi-based compounds with 99mTc. Specifically, the mono-oxo, tricarbonyl, isonitrile, and HYNIC strategies have been applied to produce [99mTc]Tc-FAPi tracers, which have been tested in vitro and in animal models. Overall, these labeling approaches have demonstrated high efficiency and strong binding. The resulting [99mTc]Tc-FAPi tracers have shown high specificity for FAP-positive cells and xenografts in both in vitro and animal model studies, respectively. However, the majority of [99mTc]Tc-FAPi tracers have exhibited variable levels of lipophilicity, leading to preferential excretion through the hepatobiliary route and undesirable binding to lipoproteins. Consequently, efforts have been made to synthesize more hydrophilic FAPi-based compounds to improve pharmacokinetic properties and achieve a more favorable biodistribution, particularly in the abdominal region. SPECT imaging with [99mTc]Tc-FAPi has yielded promising results in patients with gastrointestinal tumors, demonstrating comparable or superior diagnostic performance compared to other imaging modalities. Similarly, encouraging outcomes have been observed in subjects with gliomas, lung cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Beyond oncological applications, [99mTc]Tc-FAPi-based imaging has been successfully employed in myocardial and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS This overview focuses on the various radiochemical strategies for obtaining [99mTc]Tc-FAPi tracers, highlighting the main challenges encountered and possible solutions when applying each distinct approach. Additionally, it covers the preclinical and initial clinical applications of [99mTc]Tc-FAPi in cancer and inflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Boschi
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari, 46, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luca Urso
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70 c/o viale Eliporto, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Ferrara Hospital, Via A. Moro, 8, 44124, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Licia Uccelli
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70 c/o viale Eliporto, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Ferrara Hospital, Via A. Moro, 8, 44124, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Petra Martini
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari, 46 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Luca Filippi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Oncohaematology, Fondazione PTV Policlinico Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Trujillo-Benítez D, Luna-Gutiérrez M, Aguirre-De Paz JG, Cruz-Nova P, Bravo-Villegas G, Vargas-Ahumada JE, Vallejo-Armenta P, Morales-Avila E, Jiménez-Mancilla N, Oros-Pantoja R, Santos-Cuevas C, Azorín-Vega E, Ocampo-García B, Ferro-Flores G. 68Ga-DOTA-D-Alanine-BoroPro Radiotracer for Imaging of the Fibroblast Activation Protein in Malignant and Non-Malignant Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:532. [PMID: 38675193 PMCID: PMC11054143 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040532] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, we reported a new fibroblast activation protein (FAP) inhibitor radiopharmaceutical based on the 99mTc-((R)-1-((6-hydrazinylnicotinoyl)-D-alanyl) pyrrolidin-2-yl) boronic acid (99mTc-HYNIC-D-Alanine-BoroPro)(99mTc-HYNIC-iFAP) structure for tumor microenvironment SPECT imaging. This research aimed to synthesize 68Ga-[2,2',2″,2‴-(2-(4-(2-(5-(((S)-1-((S)-2-boronopyrrolidin-1-yl)-1-oxopropan-2-yl)carbamoyl)pyridin-2-yl)hydrazine-1-carbothioamido)benzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetrayl)tetraacetic acid] (68Ga-DOTA-D-Alanine-BoroPro)(68Ga-iFAP) as a novel radiotracer for PET imaging and evaluate its usefulness for FAP expression in malignant and non-malignant tissues. The coupling of p-SCN-benzene DOTA with HYNIC-iFAP was used for the chemical synthesis and further labeling with 68Ga. Radiochemical purity was verified by radio-HPLC. The specificity of 68Ga-iFAP was evaluated in HCT116 cells, in which FAP expression was verified by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Biodistribution and biokinetic studies were performed in murine models. 68Ga-iFAP uptake at the myocardial level was assessed in mice with induced infarction. First-in-human images of 68Ga-iFAP in healthy subjects and patients with myocardial infarction, glioblastoma, prostate cancer, and breast cancer were also obtained. DOTA-D-Alanine BoroPro was prepared with a chemical purity of 98% and was characterized by UPLC mass spectroscopy, FT-IR, and UV-vis. The 68Ga-iFAP was obtained with a radiochemical purity of >95%. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated 68Ga-iFAP-specific recognition for FAP, rapid renal elimination, and adequate visualization of the glioblastoma, breast tumor, prostate cancer, and myocardial infarction sites. The results of this research justify further dosimetry and clinical trials to establish the specificity and sensitivity of 68Ga-iFAP PET for FAP expression imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Trujillo-Benítez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | - Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| | - José G. Aguirre-De Paz
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | - Pedro Cruz-Nova
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| | | | - Joel E. Vargas-Ahumada
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Mexico City 14000, Mexico
| | - Paola Vallejo-Armenta
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City 14000, Mexico
| | - Enrique Morales-Avila
- Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | | | | | - Clara Santos-Cuevas
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| | - Erika Azorín-Vega
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| | - Blanca Ocampo-García
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| | - Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (D.T.-B.); (C.S.-C.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bendre S, Merkens H, Kuo HT, Ng P, Wong AAWL, Lau WS, Zhang Z, Kurkowska S, Chen CC, Uribe C, Bénard F, Lin KS. Development, preclinical evaluation and preliminary dosimetry profiling of SB03178, a first-of-its-kind benzo[h]quinoline-based fibroblast activation protein-α-targeted radiotheranostic for cancer imaging and therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116238. [PMID: 38367492 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116238] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) is a marker of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that constitute a significant portion of most carcinomas. Since it plays a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis, its timely detection to identify tumor lesions in early developmental stages using targeted radiopharmaceuticals has gained significant impetus. In the present work, two novel FAP-targeted precursors SB03178 and SB04033 comprising of an atypical benzo[h]quinoline construct were synthesized and either chelated to diagnostic radionuclide gallium-68 or therapeutic radionuclide lutetium-177, with ≥90% radiochemical purities and 22-76% decay-corrected radiochemical yields. natGa-labeled complexes displayed dose-dependent FAP inhibition, with binding potency of natGa-SB03178 being ∼17 times higher than natGa-SB04033. To evaluate their pharmacokinetic profiles, PET imaging and ex vivo biodistribution analyses were executed in FAP-overexpressing HEK293T:hFAP tumor-bearing mice. While both tracers displayed clear tumor visualization that was primarily FAP-arbitrated, with negligible uptake in most peripheral tissues, [68Ga]Ga-SB03178 demonstrated higher tumor uptake and superior tumor-to-background contrast ratios than [68Ga]Ga-SB04033. 177Lu-labeled SB03178 was subjected to tumor retention studies, mouse dosimetry profiling and mouse-to-human dose extrapolations also using the HEK293T:hFAP tumor model. [177Lu]Lu-SB03178 exhibited a combination of high and sustained tumor uptake, with excellent tumor-to-critical organ uptake ratios resulting in a high radiation absorbed dose to the tumor and a low estimated whole-body dose to humans. Our preliminary findings are considerably encouraging to support clinical development of [68Ga]Ga-/[177Lu]Lu-SB03178 theranostic pair for use in a vast majority of FAP-overexpressing neoplasms, particularly carcinomas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Bendre
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Helen Merkens
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Hsiou-Ting Kuo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Pauline Ng
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Antonio A W L Wong
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Wing Sum Lau
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Zhengxing Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Sara Kurkowska
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Chao-Cheng Chen
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Carlos Uribe
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada; Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, V5Z4E6, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada
| | - François Bénard
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada; Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, V5Z4E6, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada
| | - Kuo-Shyan Lin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada; Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, V5Z4E6, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1M9, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ma M, Yang G, Zhao M, Liu Y, Ge X, Jia B, Gao S. Synthesis and Preliminary Study of 99mTc-Labeled HYNIC-FAPi for Imaging of Fibroblast Activation Proteins in Tumors. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:735-744. [PMID: 38193393 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is an emerging target for cancer diagnosis. Different types of FAP inhibitor (FAPI)-based radiotracers have been developed and applied for tumor imaging. However, few FAPI tracers for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging have been reported. SPECT imaging is less expensive and more widely distributed than positron emission tomography (PET), and thus, 99mTc-labeled FAPIs would be more available to patients in developing regions. Herein, we developed a FAPI-04-derived radiotracer, HYNIC-FAPi-04 (HFAPi), for SPECT imaging. 99mTc-HFAPi, with a radiochemical purity of >98%, was prepared using a kit formula within 30 min. The specificity of 99mTc-HFAPi for FAP was validated by a cell binding assay in vitro and SPECT/CT imaging in vivo. The binding affinity (Kd value) of 99mTc-HFAPi for human FAP and murine FAP was 4.49 and 2.07 nmol/L, respectively. SPECT/CT imaging in HT1080-hFAP tumor-bearing mice showed the specific FAP targeting ability of 99mTc-HFAPi in vivo. In U87MG tumor-bearing mice, 99mTc-HFAPi had a higher tumor uptake compared with that of HT1080-hFAP and 4T1-mFAP tumor models. Interestingly, 99mTc-HFAPi showed a relatively high uptake in some murine joints. 99mTc-HFAPi accumulated in tumor lesions with a high tumor-to-background ratio. A preliminary clinical study was also performed in breast cancer patients. Additionally, 99mTc-HFAPi exhibited an advantage over 18F-FDG in the detection of lymph node metastatic lesions in breast cancer patients, which is helpful in improving treatment strategies. In short, 99mTc-HFAPi showed excellent affinity and specificity for FAP and is a promising SPECT radiotracer for (re)staging and treatment planning of breast cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mengshi Ma
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangjie Yang
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People's Republic of China
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoguang Ge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Jia
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi Gao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ferro-Flores G, Ocampo-García B, Cruz-Nova P, Luna-Gutiérrez M, Bravo-Villegas G, Azorín-Vega E, Jiménez-Mancilla N, Michel-Sánchez E, García-Pérez O, Lara-Almazán N, Santos-Cuevas C. 99mTc-Labeled Cyclic Peptide Targeting PD-L1 as a Novel Nuclear Imaging Probe. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2662. [PMID: 38140003 PMCID: PMC10747430 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent cancer therapies have focused on reducing immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment to prevent cancer progression and metastasis. PD-1 is a checkpoint protein that stops the immune response and is expressed on immune T cells. Cancer cells express a PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) to bind to the T-cell surface and activate immunosuppressive pathways. This study aimed to design, synthesize, and evaluate a 99mTc-labeled PD-L1-targeting cyclic peptide inhibitor (99mTc-iPD-L1) as a novel SPECT radiopharmaceutical for PD-L1 expression imaging. AutoDock software (version 1.5) was used to perform molecular docking for affinity calculations. The chemical synthesis was based on the coupling reaction of 6-hydrazinylpyridine-3-carboxylic acid with a 14-amino-acid cyclic peptide. iPD-L1 was prepared for 99mTc labeling. Radio-HPLC was used to verify radiochemical purity. The stability of the radiopeptide in human serum was evaluated by HPLC. iPD-L1 specificity was assessed by SDS-PAGE. [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1 cellular uptake in PD-L1-positive cancer cells (HCC827 and HCT116) and biodistribution in mice with induced tumors were also performed. One patient with advanced plantar malignant melanoma received [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1. The iPD-L1 ligand (AutoDock affinity: -6.7 kcal/mol), characterized by UPLC mass, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, was obtained with a chemical purity of 97%. The [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1 was prepared with a radiochemical purity of >90%. In vitro and in vivo analyses demonstrated [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1 stability (>90% at 24 h) in human serum, specific recognition for PD-L1, high uptake by the tumor (6.98 ± 0.89% ID/g at 1 h), and rapid hepatobiliary and kidney elimination. [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1 successfully detected PD-L1-positive lesions in a patient with plantar malignant melanoma. The results obtained in this study warrant further dosimetric and clinical studies to determine the sensitivity and specificity of [99mTc]Tc-iPD-L1/SPECT for PD-L1 expression imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Blanca Ocampo-García
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Pedro Cruz-Nova
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | | | - Erika Azorín-Vega
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | | | - Emiliano Michel-Sánchez
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Osvaldo García-Pérez
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Nancy Lara-Almazán
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Clara Santos-Cuevas
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yang X, Li G, Ruan C, Hu K, Tang G. Formulation and Preclinical Testing of Tc-99m-Labeled HYNIC-Glc-FAPT as a FAP-Targeting Tumor Radiotracer. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2133-2143. [PMID: 37874952 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy with radiolabeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) targeting peptide probes hold great potential for enhancing the clinical management of patients with FAP-expressing cancers. However, the high cost of PET probes has prompted us to search for new FAP-targeting single-photon imaging agents. In this study, HYNIC-Glc-FAPT is synthesized and radiolabeled with technetium-99m using tricine/EDDA or dimer tricine as coligands to produce [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT and [99mTc]Tc-tricine(2)-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT. Both [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT and [99mTc]Tc-tricine(2)-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT were effectively synthesized with an excellent radiochemistry yield (both >97%, n = 6) in a single-step technique, and their stability in PBS and human serum was satisfactory. Compared to [99mTc]Tc-tricine(2)-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT, [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT exhibited a more hydrophilic nature with a log P of -3.53 ± 0.12. In vitro cellular uptake and blocking assays, internalization, efflux experiments, and affinity experiments all suggested a mechanism with high FAP-specificity and affinity. SPECT imaging and biodistribution of [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT demonstrated sustained high tumor uptake in BALB/c nude mice bearing U87MG tumors for 6 h. It demonstrated a long-range retention characteristic and more rapid clearance ability from nontarget organs. Collectively, we successfully synthesized [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT and [99mTc]Tc-tricine(2)-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT, and the excellent targeting properties of [99mTc]Tc-tricine/EDDA-HYNIC-Glc-FAPT suggest a potential diagnostic value in future clinical studies for advanced-stage FAP-expressing malignancies, especially in prognostic evaluation of tumors for it low price and convenient source.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Yang
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, PET Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Guiping Li
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, PET Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chuyin Ruan
- Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Kongzhen Hu
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, PET Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ganghua Tang
- GDMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, PET Center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yu Z, Huang Y, Chen H, Jiang Z, Li C, Xie Y, Li Z, Cheng X, Liu Y, Li S, Liang Y, Wu Z. Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of 18F-Labeled Tracers Targeting Fibroblast Activation Protein for Brain Imaging. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1745-1757. [PMID: 37974629 PMCID: PMC10644484 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00187] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is closely related to central nervous system diseases such as stroke and brain tumors, but PET tracers that can be used for brain imaging have not been reported. Here, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated 18F-labeled UAMC1110 derivatives suitable for brain imaging targeting FAP. By substituting the F atom for the H atom on the aromatic ring of compound UAMC1110, 1a-c were designed and prepared. 1a-c were confirmed to have a high affinity for FAP through molecular docking and enzyme assay. [18F]1a-c were successfully prepared and confirmed to have high affinity. The stability in vivo indicates that no obvious metabolites of [18F]1a,b were found in the plasma 1 h after injection, which is beneficial for brain imaging. In vitro cell uptake experiments showed that [18F]1a,b and [68Ga]FAPI04 exhibited similar uptake and internalization rates. PET imaging of U87MG subcutaneous tumor showed that [18F]1a,b could penetrate the blood-brain barrier with higher uptake and longer retention time than [68Ga]FAPI04 (uptake at 62.5 min, 1.06 ± 0.23, 1.09 ± 0.25% ID/g vs 0.21 ± 0.10% ID/g, respectively). The brain-to-blood ratios of [18F]1a,b were better than [68Ga]FAPI04. Biodistribution and PET imaging showed that [18F]1a had better uptake on tumors and a higher tumor-to-muscle ratio than [18F]1b and [68Ga]FAPI04. Further imaging of U87MG intracranial glioma showed that [18F]1a outlined high-contrast gliomas in a short period of time compared to [18F]1b. Therefore, [18F]1a is expected to be useful in the diagnosis of FAP-related brain diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyue Yu
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yong Huang
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research
Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union
Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Hualong Chen
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Zeng Jiang
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Chengze Li
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research
Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union
Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Yi Xie
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Zhongjing Li
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research
Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union
Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Xuebo Cheng
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yajing Liu
- School
of Pharmaceutical Science, Capital Medical
University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Shengli Li
- Department
of Laboratory Animal Science, Capital Medical
University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Ying Liang
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research
Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union
Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Zehui Wu
- Beijing
Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry
of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain
Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rezaei S, Gharapapagh E, Dabiri S, Heidari P, Aghanejad A. Theranostics in targeting fibroblast activation protein bearing cells: Progress and challenges. Life Sci 2023; 329:121970. [PMID: 37481033 PMCID: PMC10773987 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells are surrounded by a complex and highly dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a critical component of TME, contribute to cancer cell proliferation as well as metastatic spread. CAFs express a variety of biomarkers, which can be targeted for detection and therapy. Most importantly, CAFs express high levels of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) which contributes to progression of cancer, invasion, metastasis, migration, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. As a consequence, FAP is an attractive theranostic target. In this review, we discuss the latest advancement in targeting FAP in oncology using theranostic biomarkers and imaging modalities such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), fluorescence imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Rezaei
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Reza General Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Gharapapagh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Reza General Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Shahram Dabiri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Reza General Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Pedram Heidari
- Departments of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Ayuob Aghanejad
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imam Reza General Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Luna-Gutiérrez M, Cruz-Nova P, Jiménez-Mancilla N, Oros-Pantoja R, Lara-Almazán N, Santos-Cuevas C, Azorín-Vega E, Ocampo-García B, Ferro-Flores G. Synthesis and Evaluation of 177Lu-DOTA-PD-L1-i and 225Ac-HEHA-PD-L1-i as Potential Radiopharmaceuticals for Tumor Microenvironment-Targeted Radiotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12382. [PMID: 37569758 PMCID: PMC10418980 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Current cancer therapies focus on reducing immunosuppression and remodeling the tumor microenvironment to inhibit metastasis, cancer progression, and therapeutic resistance. Programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) is expressed on immune T cells and is one of the so-called checkpoint proteins that can suppress or stop the immune response. To evade the immune system, cancer cells overexpress a PD-1 inhibitor protein (PD-L1), which binds to the surface of T cells to activate signaling pathways that induce immune suppression. This research aimed to synthesize PD-L1 inhibitory peptides (PD-L1-i) labeled with lutetium-177 (177Lu-DOTA-PD-L1-i) and actinium-225 (225Ac-HEHA-PD-L1-i) and to preclinically evaluate their potential as radiopharmaceuticals for targeted radiotherapy at the tumor microenvironment level. Using PD-L1-i peptide as starting material, conjugation with HEHA-benzene-SCN and DOTA-benzene-SCN was performed to yield DOTA-PD-L1-i and HEHA-PD-L1-I, which were characterized by FT-IR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and HPLC. After labeling the conjugates with 225Ac and 177Lu, cellular uptake in HCC827 cancer cells (PD-L1 positive), conjugate specificity evaluation by immunofluorescence, radiotracer effect on cell viability, biodistribution, biokinetics, and assessment of radiation absorbed dose in mice with in duced lung micrometastases were performed. 225Ac-HEHA-PD-L1-i and 177Lu-DOTA-PD-L1-i, obtained with radiochemical purities of 95 ± 3% and 98.5 ± 0.5%, respectively, showed in vitro and in vivo specific recognition for the PD-L1 protein in lung cancer cells and high uptake in HCC287 lung micrometastases (>30% ID). The biokinetic profiles of 177Lu-DOTA-PD-L1-i and 225Ac-DOTA-PD-L1-i showed rapid blood clearance with renal and hepatobiliary elimination and no accumulation in normal tissues. 225Ac-DOTA-PD-L1-i produced a radiation dose of 5.15 mGy/MBq to lung micrometastases. In the case of 177Lu-DOTA-PD-L1-i, the radiation dose delivered to the lung micrometastases was ten times (43 mGy/MBq) that delivered to the kidneys (4.20 mGy/MBq) and fifty times that delivered to the liver (0.85 mGy/MBq). Therefore, the radiotherapeutic PD-L1-i ligands of 225Ac and 177Lu developed in this research could be combined with immunotherapy to enhance the therapeutic effect in various types of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | - Pedro Cruz-Nova
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | | | | | - Nancy Lara-Almazán
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | - Clara Santos-Cuevas
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | - Erika Azorín-Vega
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | - Blanca Ocampo-García
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| | - Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico (E.A.-V.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bendre S, Kuo HT, Merkens H, Zhang Z, Wong AAWL, Bénard F, Lin KS. Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of Novel 68Ga-Labeled ( R)-Pyrrolidin-2-yl-boronic Acid-Based PET Tracers for Fibroblast Activation Protein-Targeted Cancer Imaging. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:798. [PMID: 37375746 DOI: 10.3390/ph16060798] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a membrane-tethered serine protease overexpressed in the reactive stromal fibroblasts of >90% human carcinomas, which makes it a promising target for developing radiopharmaceuticals for the imaging and therapy of carcinomas. Here, we synthesized two novel (R)-pyrrolidin-2-yl-boronic acid-based FAP-targeted ligands: SB02055 (DOTA-conjugated (R)-(1-((6-(3-(piperazin-1-yl)propoxy)quinoline-4-carbonyl)glycyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl)boronic acid) and SB04028 (DOTA-conjugated ((R)-1-((6-(3-(piperazin-1-yl)propoxy)quinoline-4-carbonyl)-D-alanyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl)boronic acid). natGa- and 68Ga-complexes of both ligands were evaluated in preclinical studies and compared to previously reported natGa/68Ga-complexed PNT6555. Enzymatic assays showed that FAP binding affinities (IC50) of natGa-SB02055, natGa-SB04028 and natGa-PNT6555 were 0.41 ± 0.06, 13.9 ± 1.29 and 78.1 ± 4.59 nM, respectively. PET imaging and biodistribution studies in HEK293T:hFAP tumor-bearing mice showed that while [68Ga]Ga-SB02055 presented with a nominal tumor uptake (1.08 ± 0.37 %ID/g), [68Ga]Ga-SB04028 demonstrated clear tumor visualization with ~1.5-fold higher tumor uptake (10.1 ± 0.42 %ID/g) compared to [68Ga]Ga-PNT6555 (6.38 ± 0.45 %ID/g). High accumulation in the bladder indicated renal excretion of all three tracers. [68Ga]Ga-SB04028 displayed a low background level uptake in most normal organs, and comparable to [68Ga]Ga-PNT6555. However, since its tumor uptake was considerably higher than [68Ga]Ga-PNT6555, the corresponding tumor-to-organ uptake ratios for [68Ga]Ga-SB04028 were also significantly greater than [68Ga]Ga-PNT6555. Our data demonstrate that (R)-(((quinoline-4-carbonyl)-d-alanyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl)boronic acid is a promising pharmacophore for the design of FAP-targeted radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and radioligand therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Bendre
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Hsiou-Ting Kuo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Helen Merkens
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Zhengxing Zhang
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - Antonio A W L Wong
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
| | - François Bénard
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Functional Imaging, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Kuo-Shyan Lin
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Department of Functional Imaging, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4E6, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Novel 68Ga-Labeled Pyridine-Based Fibroblast Activation Protein-Targeted Tracers with High Tumor-to-Background Contrast. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16030449. [PMID: 36986548 PMCID: PMC10057391 DOI: 10.3390/ph16030449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Compared to quinoline-based fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted radiotracers, pyridine-based FAP-targeted tracers are expected to have faster pharmacokinetics due to their smaller molecular size and higher hydrophilicity, which we hypothesize would improve the tumor-to-background image contrast. We aim to develop 68Ga-labeled pyridine-based FAP-targeted tracers for cancer imaging with positron emission tomography (PET), and compare their imaging potential with the clinically validated [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04. Two DOTA-conjugated pyridine-based AV02053 and AV02070 were synthesized through multi-step organic synthesis. IC50(FAP) values of Ga-AV02053 and Ga-AV02070 were determined by an enzymatic assay to be 187 ± 52.0 and 17.1 ± 4.60 nM, respectively. PET imaging and biodistribution studies were conducted in HEK293T:hFAP tumor-bearing mice at 1 h post-injection. The HEK293T:hFAP tumor xenografts were clearly visualized with good contrast on PET images by [68Ga]Ga-AV02053 and [68Ga]Ga-AV02070, and both tracers were excreted mainly through the renal pathway. The tumor uptake values of [68Ga]Ga-AV02070 (7.93 ± 1.88%ID/g) and [68Ga]Ga-AV02053 (5.6 ± 1.12%ID/g) were lower than that of previously reported [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 (12.5 ± 2.00%ID/g). However, both [68Ga]Ga-AV02070 and [68Ga]Ga-AV02053 showed higher tumor-to-background (blood, muscle, and bone) uptake ratios than [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04. Our data suggests that pyridine-based pharmacophores are promising for the design of FAP-targeted tracers. Future optimization on the selection of a linker will be explored to increase tumor uptake while maintaining or even further improving the high tumor-to-background contrast.
Collapse
|
14
|
Jiang Y, Tian Y, Feng B, Zhao T, Du L, Yu X, Zhao Q. A novel molecular imaging probe [ 99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3700. [PMID: 36879039 PMCID: PMC9988823 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30806-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is higher expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in most malignant epithelial neoplasms, which is lower expressed in normal tissues. As a promising small molecular probe, FAP inhibitor (FAPI) shows the specific binding to FAP. This study aimed to explore a novel molecular probe [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI targeting CAFs. The in vitro characteristics of the probe were also evaluated. The FAPI targeting FAP was designed, synthesized and conjugated with the chelator 6-hydrazinylnicotinic acid (HYNIC) for radiolabeling with 99mTc. The radiolabeling yield, radiochemical purity and stability were evaluated by Instant thin-layer chromatography (ITLC) and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Lipophilicity was performed by the distribution coefficient test. The binding and migration ability of the probe was assessed using the FAP transfected tumor cell line. The radiolabeling yield of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI was (97.29 ± 0.46) %. The radiochemical purity was more than 90% and kept stable until 6 h. The radioligand was shown as lower lipophilicity, of which logD7.4 value was - 2.38 [Formula: see text] 0.13. In vitro experiments, the results indicated that the probe showed binding properties, and inhibited the migration of tumor cells. The novel [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI probe was successfully radiosynthesized and exhibited good radiochemical purity, stability and in vitro binding ability to tumor cells. The [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI will be a promising SPECT/CT imaging probe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanghongyan Jiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Yaxin Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Bei Feng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Liang Du
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Xiaodong Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hernández-Jiménez T, Cruz-Nova P, Ancira-Cortez A, Gibbens-Bandala B, Lara-Almazán N, Ocampo-García B, Santos-Cuevas C, Morales-Avila E, Ferro-Flores G. Toxicity Assessment of [ 177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA Nanoparticles Prepared under GMP-Compliant Radiopharmaceutical Processes. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:nano12234181. [PMID: 36500804 PMCID: PMC9739705 DOI: 10.3390/nano12234181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is heavily expressed in fibroblasts associated with the tumor microenvironment, while the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed in the neovasculature of malignant angiogenic processes. Previously, we reported that [177Lu]lutetium sesquioxide-iFAP/iPSMA nanoparticles ([177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA) inhibit HCT116 tumor progression in mice. Understanding the toxicity of [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA in healthy tissues, as well as at the tissue and cellular level in pathological settings, is essential to demonstrate the nanosystem safety for treating patients. It is equally important to demonstrate that [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA can be prepared under good manufacturing practices (GMP) with reproducible pharmaceutical-grade quality characteristics. This research aimed to prepare [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA under GMP-compliant radiopharmaceutical processes and evaluate its toxicity in cell cultures and murine biological systems under pathological environments. [177Lu]Lu2O3 nanoparticles were formulated as radiocolloidal solutions with FAP and PSMA inhibitor ligands (iFAP and iPSMA), sodium citrate, and gelatin, followed by heating at 121 °C (103-kPa pressure) for 15 min. Three consecutive batches were manufactured. The final product was analyzed according to conventional pharmacopeial methods. The Lu content in the formulations was determined by X-ray fluorescence. [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA performance in cancer cells was evaluated in vitro by immunofluorescence. Histopathological toxicity in healthy and tumor tissues was assessed in HCT116 tumor-bearing mice. Immunohistochemical assays were performed to corroborate FAP and PSMA tumor expression. Acute genotoxicity was evaluated using the micronuclei assay. The results showed that the batches manufactured under GMP conditions were reproducible. Radiocolloidal solutions were sterile and free of bacterial endotoxins, with radionuclidic and radiochemical purity greater than 99%. The lutetium content was 0.10 ± 0.02 mg/mL (0.9 GBq/mg). Significant inhibition of cell proliferation in vitro and in tumors was observed due to the accumulation of nanoparticles in the fibroblasts (FAP+) and neovasculature (PSMA+) of the tumor microenvironment. No histopathological damage was detected in healthy tissues. The data obtained in this research provide new evidence on the selective toxicity to malignant tumors and the absence of histological changes in healthy tissues after intravenous injection of [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA in mammalian hosts. The easy preparation under GMP conditions and the toxicity features provide the added value needed for [177Lu]Lu-iFAP/iPSMA clinical translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tania Hernández-Jiménez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
- Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | - Pedro Cruz-Nova
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Ancira-Cortez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Brenda Gibbens-Bandala
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Nancy Lara-Almazán
- Department of Chemical Analysis, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Blanca Ocampo-García
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Clara Santos-Cuevas
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| | - Enrique Morales-Avila
- Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | - Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
[ 99mTc]Tc-iFAP/SPECT Tumor Stroma Imaging: Acquisition and Analysis of Clinical Images in Six Different Cancer Entities. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060729. [PMID: 35745648 PMCID: PMC9230816 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is highly expressed on the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) of the tumor stroma. Recently, we reported the preclinical evaluation and clinical biokinetics of a novel 99mTc-labeled FAP inhibitor radioligand ([99mTc]Tc-iFAP). This research aimed to evaluate [99mTc]Tc-iFAP for the tumor stroma imaging of six different cancerous entities and analyze them from the perspective of stromal heterogeneity. [99mTc]Tc-iFAP was prepared from freeze-dried kits with a radiochemical purity of 98 ± 1%. The study included thirty-two patients diagnosed with glioma (n = 5); adrenal cortex neuroendocrine tumor (n = 1); and breast (n = 21), lung (n = 2), colorectal (n = 1) and cervical (n = 3) cancer. Patients with glioma had been evaluated with a previous cranial MRI scan and the rest of the patients had been involved in a [18F]FDG PET/CT study. All oncological diagnoses were corroborated histopathologically. The patients underwent SPECT/CT brain imaging (glioma) or thoracoabdominal imaging 1 h after [99mTc]Tc-iFAP administration (i.v., 735 ± 63 MBq). The total lesions (n = 111) were divided into three categories: primary tumors (PT), lymph node metastases (LNm), and distant metastases (Dm). [99mTc]Tc-iFAP brain imaging was positive in four high-grade WHO III–IV gliomas and negative in one treatment-naive low-grade glioma. Both [99mTc]Tc-iFAP and [18F]FDG detected 26 (100%) PT, although the number of positive LNm and Dm was significantly higher with [18F]FDG [82 (96%)], in comparison to [99mTc]Tc-iFAP imaging (35 (41%)). Peritoneal carcinomatosis lesions in a patient with recurrent colorectal cancer were only visualized with [99mTc]Tc-iFAP. In patients with breast cancer, a significant positive correlation was demonstrated among [99mTc]Tc-iFAP uptake values (Bq/cm3) of PT and the molecular subtype, being higher for subtypes HER2+ and Luminal B HER2-enriched. Four different CAF subpopulations have previously been described for LNm of breast cancer (from CAF-S1 to CAF-S4). The only subpopulation that expresses FAP is CAF-S1, which is preferentially detected in aggressive subtypes (HER2 and triple-negative), confirming that FAP+ is a marker for poor disease prognosis. The results of this pilot clinical research show that [99mTc]Tc-iFAP SPECT imaging is a promising tool in the prognostic assessment of some solid tumors, particularly breast cancer.
Collapse
|
17
|
Coria-Domínguez L, Vallejo-Armenta P, Luna-Gutiérrez M, Ocampo-García B, Gibbens-Bandala B, García-Pérez F, Ramírez-Nava G, Santos-Cuevas C, Ferro-Flores G. [ 99mTc]Tc-iFAP Radioligand for SPECT/CT Imaging of the Tumor Microenvironment: Kinetics, Radiation Dosimetry, and Imaging in Patients. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050590. [PMID: 35631416 PMCID: PMC9143259 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment fibroblasts overexpress the fibroblast activation protein (FAP). We recently reported the preclinical evaluation of [99mTc]Tc-iFAP as a new SPECT radioligand capable of detecting FAP. This research aimed to evaluate the kinetic and dosimetric profile of [99mTc]Tc-iFAP in healthy volunteers, and to assess the radioligand uptake by different solid tumors in three cancer patients. [99mTc]Tc-iFAP was obtained from lyophilized formulations prepared under GMP conditions with >98% radiochemical purity. Whole-body scans of six healthy subjects were obtained at 0.5, 2, 4, and 24 h after [99mTc]Tc-iFAP (740 MBq) administration. A 2D-planar/3D-SPECT hybrid activity quantitation method was used to fit the biokinetic models of the source organs (volume of interest: VOI) as exponential functions (A(t)VOI). The total nuclear transformations (N) that occurred in the source organs were calculated from the mathematical integration (0,∞) of A(t)VOI. The OLINDA code was used to estimate the radiation doses. Three treatment-naive patients (breast, lung, and cervical cancer) with a prior [18F]FDG PET/CT scan underwent whole-body, chest, and abdominal SPECT/CT scanning after [99mTc]Tc-iFAP (740 MBq) administration. Both imaging methods were compared visually and quantitatively. Oncological diagnoses were performed histopathologically. The results showed favorable [99mTc]Tc-iFAP biodistribution and kinetics due to rapid blood activity removal (t1/2α = 2.22 min and t1/2β = 90 min) and mainly renal clearance. The mean radiation equivalent doses were 5.2 ± 0.8 mSv for the kidney and 1.7 ± 0.3 mSv for the liver after administration of 740 MBq. The effective dose was 2.3 ± 0.4 mSv/740 MBq. [99mTc]Tc-iFAP demonstrated high and reliable uptake in the primary tumor lesions and lymph node metastases in patients with breast, cervical, and lung cancer, which correlated with that detected by [18F]FDG PET/CT. The tumor microenvironment molecular imaging from cancer patients obtained in this research validates the performance of additional clinical studies to determine the utility of [99mTc]Tc-iFAP in the diagnosis and prognosis of different types of solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Coria-Domínguez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50180, Mexico
| | - Paola Vallejo-Armenta
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
| | - Myrna Luna-Gutiérrez
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
| | - Blanca Ocampo-García
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
| | - Brenda Gibbens-Bandala
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
| | - Francisco García-Pérez
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14080, Mexico;
| | - Gerardo Ramírez-Nava
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
- Correspondence: (G.R.-N.); (C.S.-C.); (G.F.-F.)
| | - Clara Santos-Cuevas
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
- Correspondence: (G.R.-N.); (C.S.-C.); (G.F.-F.)
| | - Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Department of Radioactive Materials, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (L.C.-D.); (P.V.-A.); (M.L.-G.); (B.O.-G.); (B.G.-B.)
- Correspondence: (G.R.-N.); (C.S.-C.); (G.F.-F.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Targeted Endoradiotherapy with Lu 2O 3-iPSMA/-iFAP Nanoparticles Activated by Neutron Irradiation: Preclinical Evaluation and First Patient Image. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040720. [PMID: 35456554 PMCID: PMC9026501 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed in a variety of cancer cells, while the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is expressed in the microenvironment of tumors. Previously, we reported the ability of iPSMA and iFAP ligands to specifically target PSMA and FAP proteins, as well as the preparation of stable 177Lu2O3 nanoparticles (<100 nm) functionalized with target-specific peptides. This research aimed to evaluate the dosimetry and therapeutic response of Lu2O3-iPSMA and Lu2O3-iFAP nanoparticles activated by neutron irradiation to demonstrate their potential for theranostic applications in nuclear medicine. The biokinetic behavior, radiation absorbed dose, and metabolic activity ([18F]FDG/micro-PET, SUV) in preclinical tumor tissues (athymic mice), following treatment with 177Lu2O3-iPSMA, 177Lu2O3-iFAP or 177Lu2O3 nanoparticles, were assessed. One patient with multiple colorectal liver metastases (PSMA-positive) received 177Lu2O3-iPSMA under a “compassionate use” protocol. Results indicated no significant difference (p < 0.05) between 177Lu2O3-iPSMA and 177Lu2O3-iFAP, regarding tumor radiation absorbed doses (105 ± 14 Gy, 99 ± 12 Gy and 58 ± 7 Gy for 177Lu2O3-iPSMA, 177Lu2O3-iFAP, and 177Lu2O3, respectively) and tumor metabolic activity (SUV of 0.421 ± 0.092, 0.375 ± 0.104 and 1.821 ± 0.891 for 177Lu2O3-iPSMA, 177Lu2O3-iFAP, and 177Lu2O3, respectively) in mice after treatment, which correlated with the observed therapeutic response. 177Lu2O3-iPSMA and 177Lu2O3-iFAP significantly inhibited tumor progression, due to the prolonged tumor retention and a combination of 177Lu radiotherapy and iPSMA or iFAP molecular recognition. There were negligible uptake values in non-target tissues and no evidence of liver and renal toxicity. The doses received by the patient’s liver metastases (42−210 Gy) demonstrated the potential of 177Lu2O3-iPSMA for treating colorectal liver metastases.
Collapse
|