|
1
|
Yoshii Y, Matsumoto H, Igarashi C, Tachibana T, Hihara F, Shinada M, Waki A, Yoshida S, Naito K, Ito K, Higashi T, Kurihara H, Ueno M. Process to Remove the Size Variants Contained in the Antibody-Chelator Complex PCTA-NCAB001 for Radiolabeling with Copper-64. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1341. [PMID: 37895812 PMCID: PMC10610008 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101341] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the physicochemical properties of antibody-drug conjugates is critical to assess their quality at manufacturing and monitor them during subsequent storage. For radiometal-antibody complexes, it is important to control the properties of the antibody-chelator conjugate to maintain the quality of the final product. We have been developing 64Cu-labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody NCAB001 (64Cu-NCAB001) for the early diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic cancer with positron-emission tomography. Here, we characterized the larger size variants contained in the antibody-chelator conjugate PCTA-NCAB001 by multi-angle light scattering coupled with size-exclusion chromatography. Secondly, we developed a chromatographic method to remove these size variants. Lastly, we demonstrated the stability of PCTA-NCAB001 after the removal of size variants. Dimer and oligomers were identified in PCTA-NCAB001. These larger size variants, together with some smaller size variants, could be removed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The PCTA-NCAB001 product, after the removal of these size variants, could be stored at 4 °C for six months. The methods developed here can be applied to assure the quality of PCTA-NCAB001 and other antibody-drug conjugates to facilitate the development of antibody-radiometal conjugates for positron-emission tomography and radioimmunotherapy of malignant cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Yoshii
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama 241-8515, Japan;
| | - Hiroki Matsumoto
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama 241-8515, Japan;
| | - Chika Igarashi
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama 241-8515, Japan;
| | - Tomoko Tachibana
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Toho University, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Fukiko Hihara
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
| | - Mitsuhiro Shinada
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Toho University, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Atsuo Waki
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
| | - Sei Yoshida
- Department of Research, NanoCarrier Co., Ltd., Tokyo 104-0031, Japan; (S.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Kenichiro Naito
- Department of Research, NanoCarrier Co., Ltd., Tokyo 104-0031, Japan; (S.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Kimiteru Ito
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan;
| | - Tatsuya Higashi
- Institute for Quantum Medical Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan; (H.M.); (C.I.); (T.T.); (F.H.); (M.S.); (A.W.); (T.H.)
| | - Hiroaki Kurihara
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama 241-8515, Japan;
| | - Makoto Ueno
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama 241-8515, Japan;
| |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Chakravarty R, Rohra N, Jadhav S, Sarma HD, Jain R, Chakraborty S. Biochemical separation of Cetuximab-Fab from papain-digested antibody fragments and radiolabeling with 64Cu for potential use in radioimmunotheranostics. Appl Radiat Isot 2023; 196:110795. [PMID: 37004293 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Engineered Fab fragments of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) after radiolabeling with suitable radiometals have the potential to play a key role in personalized radioimmunotheranostics of cancer patients. In this study, we have generated Fab fragment of Cetuximab, a mAb targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and purified from the Fc and other fragments by ultrafiltration and affinity chromatography. The Cetuximab-Fab was conjugated with a suitable bifunctional chelator and radiolabeled with no-carrier-added (NCA) 64Cu produced via 64Zn (n, p) 64Cu reaction in a nuclear reactor. The radioimmunoconjugate obtained after size exclusion chromatographic separation possessed >95% radiochemical purity and it retained its integrity over at least three half-lives of the radiometal. Biodistribution studies was performed in fibrosarcoma tumor bearing Swiss mice, which demonstrated the explicit need for purification of the Cetuximab-Fab from Fc fragments. Enhanced and rapid tumor uptake with decent tumor-to-background ratio with prolonged retention was observed when radiolabeled purified Cetuximab-Fab was intravenously administered in animal models. Overall, this preclinical study established the pivotal role of separation science and technology to obtain the radioimmunoconjugate with requisite purity in order to demonstrate optimal pharmacokinetics and maximized treatment efficacy.
Collapse
|
|
3
|
Preclinical Safety Evaluation of Intraperitoneally Administered Cu-Conjugated Anti-EGFR Antibody NCAB001 for the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer Using PET. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091928. [PMID: 36145676 PMCID: PMC9504034 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting tumor lesions <1 cm in size using current imaging methods remains a clinical challenge, especially in pancreatic cancer. Previously, we developed a method to identify pancreatic tumor lesions ≥3 mm using positron emission tomography (PET) with an intraperitoneally administered 64Cu-labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody (64Cu-NCAB001 ipPET). Here, we conducted an extended single-dose toxicity study of 64Cu-NCAB001 ipPET in mice based on approach 1 of the current ICH M3 [R2] guideline, as our new drug formulation contains 45 μg of the antibody. We used NCAB001 labeled with stable copper isotope instead of 64Cu. The total content of size variants was approximately 6.0% throughout the study. The relative binding potency of Cu-NCAB001 to recombinant human EGFR was comparable to that of cetuximab. The general and neurological toxicities of Cu-NCAB001 ipPET at 62.5 or 625 μg/kg were assessed in mice. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of Cu-NCAB001 was 625 μg/kg, a dose approximately 1000-fold higher at the μg/kg level than the dose of 64Cu-NCAB001 in our formulation (45 µg). The size variants did not affect the safety of the formulation. Therefore, clinical studies on the efficacy of 64Cu-NCAB001 ipPET for early detection of pancreatic cancer using PET imaging can be safely conducted.
Collapse
|