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Badenhorst M, Windhorst AD, Beaino W. Navigating the landscape of PD-1/PD-L1 imaging tracers: from challenges to opportunities. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1401515. [PMID: 38915766 PMCID: PMC11195831 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1401515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy targeted to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as the program cell death receptor (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1), has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, it is now well-known that PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy response is inconsistent among patients. The current challenge is to customize treatment regimens per patient, which could be possible if the PD-1/PD-L1 expression and dynamic landscape are known. With positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, it is possible to image these immune targets non-invasively and system-wide during therapy. A successful PET imaging tracer should meet specific criteria concerning target affinity, specificity, clearance rate and target-specific uptake, to name a few. The structural profile of such a tracer will define its properties and can be used to optimize tracers in development and design new ones. Currently, a range of PD-1/PD-L1-targeting PET tracers are available from different molecular categories that have shown impressive preclinical and clinical results, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. This review will provide an overview of current PET tracers targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Antibody, peptide, and antibody fragment tracers will be discussed with respect to their molecular characteristics and binding properties and ways to optimize them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Badenhorst
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Albert D. Windhorst
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wissam Beaino
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Imaging and Biomarkers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2
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Deyev SM, Oroujeni M, Garousi J, Gräslund T, Li R, Rosly AHB, Orlova A, Konovalova E, Schulga A, Vorobyeva A, Tolmachev V. Preclinical Evaluation of HER2-Targeting DARPin G3: Impact of Albumin-Binding Domain (ABD) Fusion. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4246. [PMID: 38673831 PMCID: PMC11050402 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084246] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) G3 is an engineered scaffold protein. This small (14.5 kDa) targeting protein binds with high affinity to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). HER2 is overexpressed in several cancers. The use of the DARPin G3 for radionuclide therapy is complicated by its high renal reabsorption after clearance via the glomeruli. We tested the hypothesis that a fusion of the DARPin G3 with an albumin-binding domain (ABD) would prevent rapid renal excretion and high renal reabsorption resulting in better tumour targeting. Two fusion proteins were produced, one with the ABD at the C-terminus (G3-ABD) and another at the N-terminus (ABD-G3). Both variants were labelled with 177Lu. The binding properties of the novel constructs were evaluated in vitro and their biodistribution was compared in mice with implanted human HER2-expressing tumours. Fusion with the ABD increased the retention time of both constructs in blood compared with the non-ABD-fused control. The effect of fusion with the ABD depended strongly on the order of the domains in the constructs, resulting in appreciably better targeting properties of [177Lu]Lu-G3-ABD. Our data suggest that the order of domains is critical for the design of targeting constructs based on scaffold proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey M. Deyev
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.M.D.); (E.K.); (A.S.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (J.G.); (A.H.B.R.); (A.V.)
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Javad Garousi
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (J.G.); (A.H.B.R.); (A.V.)
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (T.G.); (R.L.)
| | - Torbjörn Gräslund
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (T.G.); (R.L.)
| | - Ruonan Li
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (T.G.); (R.L.)
| | - Alia Hani Binti Rosly
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (J.G.); (A.H.B.R.); (A.V.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 83 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Elena Konovalova
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.M.D.); (E.K.); (A.S.)
| | - Alexey Schulga
- Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin & Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.M.D.); (E.K.); (A.S.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (J.G.); (A.H.B.R.); (A.V.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (J.G.); (A.H.B.R.); (A.V.)
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Liu Y, Xu T, Vorobyeva A, Loftenius A, Bodenko V, Orlova A, Frejd FY, Tolmachev V. Radionuclide Therapy of HER2-Expressing Xenografts Using [ 177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 Affibody Molecule Alone and in Combination with Trastuzumab. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092409. [PMID: 37173878 PMCID: PMC10177614 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092409] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
ABY-027 is a scaffold-protein-based cancer-targeting agent. ABY-027 includes the second-generation Affibody molecule ZHER2:2891, which binds to human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2). An engineered albumin-binding domain is fused to ZHER2:2891 to reduce renal uptake and increase bioavailability. The agent can be site-specifically labeled with a beta-emitting radionuclide 177Lu using a DOTA chelator. The goals of this study were to test the hypotheses that a targeted radionuclide therapy using [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 could extend the survival of mice with HER2-expressing human xenografts and that co-treatment with [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 and the HER2-targeting antibody trastuzumab could enhance this effect. Balb/C nu/nu mice bearing HER2-expressing SKOV-3 xenografts were used as in vivo models. A pre-injection of trastuzumab did not reduce the uptake of [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 in tumors. Mice were treated with [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 or trastuzumab as monotherapies and a combination of these therapies. Mice treated with vehicle or unlabeled ABY-027 were used as controls. Targeted monotherapy using [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 improved the survival of mice and was more efficient than trastuzumab monotherapy. A combination of therapies utilizing [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 and trastuzumab improved the treatment outcome in comparison with monotherapies using these agents. In conclusion, [177Lu]Lu-ABY-027 alone or in combination with trastuzumab could be a new potential agent for the treatment of HER2-expressing tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongsheng Liu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Vitalina Bodenko
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
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Jia D, Liu H, Zheng S, Yuan D, Sun R, Wang F, Li Y, Li H, Yuan F, Fan Q, Zhao Z. ICG-Dimeric Her2-Specific Affibody Conjugates for Tumor Imaging and Photothermal Therapy for Her2-Positive Tumors. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:427-437. [PMID: 36315025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) is abundantly expressed in various solid tumors. The Her2-specific Affibody (ZHer2:2891) has been clinically tested in patients with Her2-positive breast cancer and is regarded as an ideal drug carrier for tumor diagnosis and targeted treatment. Indocyanine green (ICG) can be used as a photosensitizer for photothermal therapy (PTT), in addition to fluorescent dyes for tumor imaging. In this study, a dimeric Her2-specific Affibody (ZHer2) based on ZHer2:2891 was prepared using the E. coli expression system and then coupled to ICG through an N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester reactive group to construct a novel bifunctional protein drug (named ICG-ZHer2) for tumor diagnosis and PTT. In vitro, ICG-ZHer2-mediated PTT selectively and efficiently killed Her2-positive BT-474 and SKOV-3 tumor cells rather than Her2-negative HeLa tumor cells. In vivo, ICG-ZHer2 specifically accumulated in Her2-positive SKOV-3 tumor grafts rather than Her2-negative HeLa tumor grafts; high-contrast tumor optical images were obtained. However, Her2-negative HeLa tumor grafts were not detected. More importantly, ICG-ZHer2-mediated PTT exhibited a significantly enhanced antitumor effect in mice bearing SKOV-3 tumor grafts owing to the good photothermal properties of ICG-ZHer2. Of note, ICG-ZHer2 did not exhibit acute toxicity in mice during short-term treatment. Overall, our findings indicate that ICG-ZHer2 is a promising bifunctional drug for Her2-positive tumor diagnosis and PTT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianlong Jia
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Huimin Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Shuhui Zheng
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Dandan Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Ruohan Sun
- Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Design, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Fengjiao Yuan
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Medicine Research, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, China
| | - Qing Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250117, China
| | - Zhenxiong Zhao
- Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang 317700, China
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Biologic Evaluation of a Heterodimeric HER2-Albumin Targeted Affibody Molecule Produced by Chemo-Enzymatic Peptide Synthesis. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14112519. [PMID: 36432709 PMCID: PMC9698269 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted molecular radiation therapy is a promising emerging treatment modality in oncology, and peptide synthesis may shorten the time to reach the clinical stage. In this study, we have explored Chemo-Enzymatic Peptide Synthesis, or CEPS, as a new means of producing a therapeutic HER2 targeted Affibody® molecule, comprising a C-terminal albumin binding domain (ABD) for half-life extension and a total length of 108 amino acids. In addition, a DOTA moiety could be incorporated at N-terminus directly during the synthesis step and subsequently utilized for site-specific radiolabeling with the therapeutic radionuclide 177Lu. Retained thermodynamic stability as well as retained binding to both HER2 and albumin was verified. Furthermore, HER2 binding specificity of the radiolabeled Affibody molecule was confirmed by an in vitro saturation assay showing a significantly higher cell-bound activity of SKOV-3 (high HER2 expression) compared with BxPC3 (low HER2 expression), both in the presence and absence of HSA. In vivo evaluation in mice bearing HER2 expressing xenografts also showed specific tumor targeting as well as extended time in circulation and reduced kidney uptake compared with a HER2 targeted Affibody molecule without the ABD moiety. To conclude, we have demonstrated that CEPS can be used for production of Affibody-fusion molecules with retained in vitro and in vivo functionality.
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Tolmachev VM, Chernov VI, Deyev SM. Targeted nuclear medicine. Seek and destroy. RUSSIAN CHEMICAL REVIEWS 2022. [DOI: 10.1070/rcr5034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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7
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Garousi J, Ding H, von Witting E, Xu T, Vorobyeva A, Oroujeni M, Orlova A, Hober S, Gräslund T, Tolmachev V. Targeting HER2 Expressing Tumors with a Potent Drug Conjugate Based on an Albumin Binding Domain-Derived Affinity Protein. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111847. [PMID: 34834262 PMCID: PMC8619933 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Albumin binding domain derived affinity proteins (ADAPTs) are a class of small and folded engineered scaffold proteins that holds great promise for targeting cancer tumors. Here, we have extended the in vivo half-life of an ADAPT, targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) by fusion with an albumin binding domain (ABD), and armed it with the highly cytotoxic payload mertansine (DM1) for an investigation of its properties in vitro and in vivo. The resulting drug conjugate, ADAPT6-ABD-mcDM1, retained binding to its intended targets, namely HER2 and serum albumins. Further, it was able to specifically bind to cells with high HER2 expression, get internalized, and showed potent toxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 5 to 80 nM. Conversely, no toxic effect was found for cells with low HER2 expression. In vivo, ADAPT6-ABD-mcDM1, radiolabeled with 99mTc, was characterized by low uptake in most normal organs, and the main excretion route was shown to be through the kidneys. The tumor uptake was 5.5% ID/g after 24 h, which was higher than the uptake in all normal organs at this time point except for the kidneys. The uptake in the tumors was blockable by pre-injection of an excess of the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (having an overlapping epitope on the HER2 receptor). In conclusion, half-life extended drug conjugates based on the ADAPT platform of affinity proteins holds promise for further development towards targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Garousi
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.G.); (H.D.); (E.v.W.); (S.H.)
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
| | - Haozhong Ding
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.G.); (H.D.); (E.v.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Emma von Witting
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.G.); (H.D.); (E.v.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, RU-634 050 Tomsk, Russia;
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, RU-634 050 Tomsk, Russia;
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sophia Hober
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.G.); (H.D.); (E.v.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Torbjörn Gräslund
- Department of Protein Science, KTH—Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.G.); (H.D.); (E.v.W.); (S.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; (T.X.); (A.V.); (M.O.); (V.T.)
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