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Dahlsson Leitao C, Mestre Borras A, Jonsson A, Malm M, Kronqvist N, Fleetwood F, Sandersjöö L, Uhlén M, Löfblom J, Ståhl S, Lindberg H. Display of a naïve affibody library on staphylococci for selection of binders by means of flow cytometry sorting. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 655:75-81. [PMID: 36933310 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Within the field of combinatorial protein engineering there is a great demand for robust high-throughput selection platforms that allow for unbiased protein library display, affinity-based screening, and amplification of selected clones. We have previously described the development of a staphylococcal display system used for displaying both alternative-scaffolds and antibody-derived proteins. In this study, the objective was to generate an improved expression vector for displaying and screening a high-complexity naïve affibody library, and to facilitate downstream validation of isolated clones. A high-affinity normalization tag, consisting of two ABD-moieties, was introduced to simplify off-rate screening procedures. In addition, the vector was furnished with a TEV protease substrate recognition sequence upstream of the protein library which enables proteolytic processing of the displayed construct for improved binding signal. In the library design, 13 of the 58 surface-exposed amino acid positions were selected for full randomization (except proline and cysteine) using trinucleotide technology. The genetic library was successfully transformed to Staphylococcus carnosus cells, generating a protein library exceeding 109 members. De novo selections against three target proteins (CD14, MAPK9 and the affibody ZEGFR:2377) were successfully performed using magnetic bead-based capture followed by flow-cytometric sorting, yielding affibody molecules binding their respective target with nanomolar affinity. Taken together, the results demonstrate the feasibility of the staphylococcal display system and the proposed selection procedure to generate new affibody molecules with high affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Dahlsson Leitao
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Mestre Borras
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Jonsson
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magdalena Malm
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina Kronqvist
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Filippa Fleetwood
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lisa Sandersjöö
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlén
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanna Lindberg
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Dahlsson Leitao C, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. Bacterial Cell Display for Selection of Affibody Molecules. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2681:99-112. [PMID: 37405645 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3279-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
This review describes the principles for generation of affibody molecules using bacterial display on the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus carnosus, respectively. Affibody molecules are small and robust alternative scaffold proteins that have been explored for therapeutic, diagnostic, and biotechnological applications. They typically exhibit high-stability, affinity, and specificity with high modularity of functional domains. Due to the small size of the scaffold, affibody molecules are rapidly excreted through renal filtration and can efficiently extravasate from blood and penetrate tissues. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that affibody molecules are promising and safe complements to antibodies for in vivo diagnostic imaging and therapy. Sorting of affibody libraries displayed on bacteria using fluorescence-activated cell sorting is an effective and straightforward methodology and has been used successfully to generate novel affibody molecules with high affinity for a diverse range of molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Department of Protein Science, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Oroujeni M, Tano H, Vorobyeva A, Liu Y, Vorontsova O, Xu T, Westerlund K, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Karlström AE. Affibody-Mediated PNA-Based Pretargeted Cotreatment Improves Survival of Trastuzumab-Treated Mice Bearing HER2-Expressing Xenografts. J Nucl Med 2022; 63:1046-1051. [PMID: 34711617 PMCID: PMC9258572 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.121.262123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing tumors using the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab increases survival. The Affibody-based peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated pretargeted radionuclide therapy has demonstrated efficacy against HER2-expressing xenografts in mice. Structural studies suggest that Affibody molecules and trastuzumab bind to different epitopes on HER2. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a combination of PNA-mediated pretargeted radionuclide therapy and trastuzumab treatment of HER2-expressing xenografts can extend survival compared with monotherapies. Methods: Mutual interference of the primary pretargeting probe ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 and trastuzumab in binding to HER2-expressing cell lines was investigated in vitro. Experimental therapy evaluated the survival of mice bearing HER2-expressing SKOV-3 xenografts after treatment with vehicle, trastuzumab only, pretargeting using Affibody-PNA chimera ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 and complementary probe 177Lu-HP2, and combination of trastuzumab and pretargeting. The ethical permit limited the study to 90 d. The animals' weights were monitored during the study. After study termination, samples of liver and kidneys were evaluated by a veterinary pathologist for toxicity signs. Results: The presence of a large molar excess of trastuzumab had no influence on the affinity of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 binding to HER2-expressing cells in vitro. The affinity of trastuzumab was not affected by a large excess of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 The median survival of mice treated with trastuzumab (75.5 d) was significantly longer than the survival of mice treated with a vehicle (59.5 d). Median survival of mice treated with pretargeting was not reached by day 90. Six mice of 10 in this group survived, and 2 had complete remission. All mice in the combination treatment group survived, and tumors in 7 mice had disappeared at study termination. There was no significant difference between animal weights in the different treatment groups. No significant pathologic alterations were detected in livers and kidneys of treated animals. Conclusion: Treatment of mice bearing HER2-expressing xenografts with the combination of trastuzumab and Affibody-mediated PNA-based radionuclide pretargeting significantly increased survival compared with monotherapies. Cotreatment was not toxic for normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hanna Tano
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;,Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia; and
| | - Yongsheng Liu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Vorontsova
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tianqi Xu
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristina Westerlund
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Orlova
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia; and,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden;,Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia; and
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- Department of Protein Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden
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Mączyńska J, Raes F, Da Pieve C, Turnock S, Boult JKR, Hoebart J, Niedbala M, Robinson SP, Harrington KJ, Kaspera W, Kramer-Marek G. Triggering anti-GBM immune response with EGFR-mediated photoimmunotherapy. BMC Med 2022; 20:16. [PMID: 35057796 PMCID: PMC8780306 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Surgical resection followed by chemo-radiation postpones glioblastoma (GBM) progression and extends patient survival, but these tumours eventually recur. Multimodal treatment plans combining intraoperative techniques that maximise tumour excision with therapies aiming to remodel the immunologically cold GBM microenvironment could improve patients' outcomes. Herein, we report that targeted photoimmunotherapy (PIT) not only helps to define tumour location and margins but additionally promotes activation of anti-GBM T cell response. METHODS EGFR-specific affibody molecule (ZEGFR:03115) was conjugated to IR700. The response to ZEGFR:03115-IR700-PIT was investigated in vitro and in vivo in GBM cell lines and xenograft model. To determine the tumour-specific immune response post-PIT, a syngeneic GBM model was used. RESULTS In vitro findings confirmed the ability of ZEGFR:03115-IR700 to produce reactive oxygen species upon light irradiation. ZEGFR:03115-IR700-PIT promoted immunogenic cell death that triggered the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) (calreticulin, ATP, HSP70/90, and HMGB1) into the medium, leading to dendritic cell maturation. In vivo, therapeutic response to light-activated conjugate was observed in brain tumours as early as 1 h post-irradiation. Staining of the brain sections showed reduced cell proliferation, tumour necrosis, and microhaemorrhage within PIT-treated tumours that corroborated MRI T2*w acquisitions. Additionally, enhanced immunological response post-PIT resulted in the attraction and activation of T cells in mice bearing murine GBM brain tumours. CONCLUSIONS Our data underline the potential of ZEGFR:03115-IR700 to accurately visualise EGFR-positive brain tumours and to destroy tumour cells post-conjugate irradiation turning an immunosuppressive tumour environment into an immune-vulnerable one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Mączyńska
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Florian Raes
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Chiara Da Pieve
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Stephen Turnock
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Jessica K R Boult
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Julia Hoebart
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Marcin Niedbala
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Silesia, Regional Hospital, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Simon P Robinson
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Kevin J Harrington
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK
| | - Wojciech Kaspera
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Silesia, Regional Hospital, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Gabriela Kramer-Marek
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, 123 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3RP, UK.
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Kamara S, Guo Y, Mao S, Ye X, Li Q, Zheng M, Zhu J, Zhang J, Du W, Chen J, Zhu S, Zhang L. Novel EBV LMP1 C-terminal domain binding affibody molecules as potential agents for in vivo molecular imaging diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:7283-7293. [PMID: 34505914 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11559-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is consistently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent infection and is common in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The viral latent membrane proteins LMP1 and LMP2 are persistently expressed in NPC tissues; the cytoplasmic domain of LMP1 (LMP1 C-terminal) and LMP2A (LMP2A N-terminal) proteins is essential for maintenance of latency and can alter host cell signaling to facilitate tumor growth and progression. Thus, targeting LMP1 or LMP2 oncoprotein has been an increasing interest for diagnosis and targeted therapy of NPC. Affibody molecules, a new class of small-affinity engineered scaffold proteins, have demonstrated high potential for therapeutics, diagnostics, and biotechnological applications. More recently, radiolabelled HER2-specific affibody molecules have demonstrated to be useful in imaging of HER2 expressing tumor. In this study, we report three novel EBV LMP1 C-terminal (EBV LMP1-C) domain affibody molecules (ZLMP1-C15, ZLMP1-C114, and ZLMP1-C277) were selected by biopanning from a random-peptide displayed phage library and used for molecular imaging in tumor-bearing nude mice. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), indirect immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) clearly showed that all three selected affibody molecules have high affinity and specificity in binding to EBV LMP1 protein. Moreover, in vivo tumor imaging revealed that Dylight-755-labeled affibody molecules accumulated rapidly in tumor site after injection (1 h) and then were continuously maintained for 24 h in EBV-positive NPC xenograft mice model. In conclusion, our findings highlight the potential use of ZLMP1-C affibody molecules as tumor-specific molecular imaging agents of EBV-associated NPC.Key points• We screened three novel affibody molecules (ZLMP1-C15, ZLMP1-C114, and ZLMP1-C277) targeting EBV LMP1-C terminal domain• ZLMP1-C recognize the recombinant and native LMP1-C with high affinity and specificity• ZLMP1-C can be used for molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saidu Kamara
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanru Guo
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Mao
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxian Ye
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingfeng Li
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Maolin Zheng
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinshun Zhu
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wangqi Du
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanli Zhu
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lifang Zhang
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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Li M, Shi W, Yang J, Wang Q, Dong H, Chen J, Zhang L, Zhu S. Generation of a novel affibody molecule targeting Chlamydia trachomatis MOMP. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:1477-87. [PMID: 33521848 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide and the most prevalent cause of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases. At present, there is no available vaccine, and recurrences after antibiotics treatment are substantial problems. Major outer membrane protein (MOMP) accounts for 60% of the outer mass of C. trachomatis, functioning as trimeric porin, and it is highly antigenic. Therefore, MOMP is the most promising candidate for vaccine developing and target therapy of Chlamydia. Affibody, a new class of affinity ligands derived from the Z-domain in the binding region of Staphylococcus aureus protein A, has been the focus of researchers as a viable alternative to antibodies. In this study, the MOMP-targeted affibody molecule (ZMOMP:461) was screened by phage-displayed peptide library. Further, the affinity and specificity were characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Western blot. Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) indicated that the MOMP-binding affibody could recognize native MOMP in HeLa229 cells infected C. trachomatis. Immunoprecipitation assay confirmed further that ZMOMP:461 molecule specifically recognizes the epitope on relaxed trimer MOMP. Our findings provide strong evidence that affibody molecule (ZMOMP:461) serves as substitute for MOMP antibody for biological applications and has a great potential for delivering drugs for target therapy. Key points • We screened a novel affibody molecule ZMOMP:461 targeting Chlamydia trachomatis MOMP. • ZMOMP:461 recognizes the recombinant and native MOMP with high affinity and specificity. • ZMOMP:461 could be internalized into live target cells. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-021-11128-x.
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Altai M, Vorobyeva A, Tolmachev V, Karlström AE, Westerlund K. Preparation of Conjugates for Affibody-Based PNA-Mediated Pretargeting. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2105:283-304. [PMID: 32088878 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0243-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small engineered scaffold proteins suitable for in vivo tumor targeting. Radionuclide molecular imaging using directly radiolabelled affibody molecules provides excellent imaging. However, affibody molecules have a high renal reabsorption, which complicates their use for radionuclide therapy. The high renal reabsorption is a common problem for the use of engineered scaffold proteins for radionuclide therapy. Affibody-based PNA-mediated pretargeting reduces dramatically the absorbed dose to the kidneys and makes affibody-based radionuclide therapy possible. This methodology might, hopefully, solve the problem of high renal reabsorption for radionuclide therapy mediated by other engineered scaffold proteins.
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Rubins DJ, Meng X, McQuade P, Klimas M, Getty K, Lin SA, Connolly BM, O'Malley SS, Haley H, Purcell M, Gantert L, Holahan M, Lindgren J, Eklund P, Ekblad C, Frejd FY, Hostetler ED, González Trotter DE, Evelhoch JL. In Vivo Evaluation and Dosimetry Estimate for a High Affinity Affibody PET Tracer Targeting PD-L1. Mol Imaging Biol 2021; 23:241-9. [PMID: 33098025 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-020-01544-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE In vivo imaging of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) during immunotherapy could potentially monitor changing PD-L1 expression and PD-L1 expression heterogeneity within and across tumors. Some protein constructs can be used for same-day positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Previously, we evaluated the PD-L1-targeting Affibody molecule [18F]AlF-NOTA-ZPD-L1_1 as a PET tracer in a mouse tumor model of human PD-L1 expression. In this study, we evaluated the affinity-matured Affibody molecule ZPD-L1_4, to determine if improved affinity for PD-L1 resulted in increased in vivo targeting of PD-L1. PROCEDURES ZPD-L1_4 was conjugated with NOTA and radiolabeled with either [18F]AlF or 68Ga. [18F]AlF-NOTA-ZPD-L1_4 and [68Ga]NOTA-ZPD-L1_4 were evaluated in immunocompromised mice with LOX (PD-L1+) and SUDHL6 (PD-L1-) tumors with PET and ex vivo biodistribution measurements. In addition, whole-body PET studies were performed in rhesus monkeys to predict human biodistribution in a model with tracer binding to endogenous PD-L1, and to calculate absorbed radiation doses. RESULTS Ex vivo biodistribution measurements showed that both tracers had > 25 fold higher accumulation in LOX tumors than SUDHL6 ([18F]AlF-NOTA-ZPD-L1_4: LOX: 8.7 ± 0.7 %ID/g (N = 4) SUDHL6: 0.2 ± 0.01 %ID/g (N = 6), [68Ga]NOTA-ZPD-L1_4: LOX: 15.8 ± 1.0 %ID/g (N = 6) SUDHL6: 0.6 ± 0.1 %ID/g (N = 6)), considerably higher than ZPD-L1_1. In rhesus monkeys, both PET tracers showed fast clearance through kidneys and low background signal in the liver ([18F]AlF-NOTA-ZPD-L1_4: 1.26 ± 0.13 SUV, [68Ga]NOTA-ZPD-L1_4: 1.11 ± 0.06 SUV). PD-L1-expressing lymph nodes were visible in PET images, indicating in vivo PD-L1 targeting. Dosimetry estimates suggest that both PET tracers can be used for repeated clinical studies, although high kidney accumulation may limit allowable radioactive doses. CONCLUSIONS [18F]AlF-NOTA-ZPD-L1_4 and [68Ga]NOTA-ZPD-L1_4 are promising candidates for same-day clinical PD-L1 PET imaging, warranting clinical evaluation. The ability to use either [18F] or [68Ga] may expand access to clinical sites.
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Burley TA, Da Pieve C, Martins CD, Ciobota DM, Allott L, Oyen WJG, Harrington KJ, Smith G, Kramer-Marek G. Affibody-Based PET Imaging to Guide EGFR-Targeted Cancer Therapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Models. J Nucl Med 2019; 60:353-361. [PMID: 30213849 PMCID: PMC6424230 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.118.216069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In head and neck squamous cell cancer, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR) is the dominant signaling molecule among all members of the family. So far, cetuximab is the only approved anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell cancer, but despite the benefits of adding it to standard treatment regimens, attempts to define a predictive biomarker to stratify patients for cetuximab treatment have been unsuccessful. We hypothesized that imaging with EGFR-specific radioligands may facilitate noninvasive measurement of EGFR expression across the entire tumor burden and allow for dynamic monitoring of cetuximab-mediated changes in receptor expression. Methods: EGFR-specific Affibody molecule (ZEGFR:03115) was radiolabeled with 89Zr and 18F. The radioligands were characterized in vitro and in mice bearing subcutaneous tumors with varying levels of EGFR expression. The protein dose for imaging studies was assessed by injecting 89Zr-deferoxamine-ZEGFR:03115 (2.4-3.6 MBq, 2 μg) either together with or 30 min after increasing amounts of unlabeled ZEGFR:03115 (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 μg). PET images were acquired at 3, 24, and 48 h after injection, and the image quantification data were correlated with the biodistribution results. The EGFR expression and biodistribution of the tracer were assessed ex vivo by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and autoradiography. To downregulate the EGFR level, treatment with cetuximab was performed, and 18F-aluminium fluoride-NOTA-ZEGFR:03115 (12 μg, 1.5-2 MBq/mouse) was used to monitor receptor changes. Results: In vivo studies demonstrated that coinjecting 10 μg of nonlabeled molecules with 89Zr-deferoxamine-ZEGFR:03115 allows for clear tumor visualization 3 h after injection. The radioconjugate tumor accumulation was EGFR-specific, and PET imaging data showed a clear differentiation between xenografts with varying EGFR expression levels. A strong correlation was observed between PET analysis, ex vivo estimates of tracer concentration, and receptor expression in tumor tissues. Additionally, 18F-aluminium fluoride-NOTA-ZEGFR:03115 could measure receptor downregulation in response to EGFR inhibition. Conclusion: ZEGFR:03115-based radioconjugates can assess different levels of EGFR level in vivo and measure receptor expression changes in response to cetuximab, indicating a potential for assessment of adequate treatment dosing with anti-EGFR antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Burley
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Chiara Da Pieve
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Carlos D Martins
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Daniela M Ciobota
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Louis Allott
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Wim J G Oyen
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin J Harrington
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Graham Smith
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
| | - Gabriela Kramer-Marek
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom; and
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Oroujeni M, Andersson KG, Steinhardt X, Altai M, Orlova A, Mitran B, Vorobyeva A, Garousi J, Tolmachev V, Löfblom J. Influence of composition of cysteine-containing peptide-based chelators on biodistribution of 99mTc-labeled anti-EGFR affibody molecules. Amino Acids 2018; 50:981-94. [PMID: 29728916 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-018-2571-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a number of cancers and is the molecular target for several anti-cancer therapeutics. Radionuclide molecular imaging of EGFR expression should enable personalization of anti-cancer treatment. Affibody molecule is a promising type of high-affinity imaging probes based on a non-immunoglobulin scaffold. A series of derivatives of the anti-EGFR affibody molecule ZEGFR:2377, having peptide-based cysteine-containing chelators for conjugation of 99mTc, was designed and evaluated. It was found that glutamate-containing chelators Gly-Gly-Glu-Cys (GGEC), Gly-Glu-Glu-Cys (GEEC) and Glu-Glu-Glu-Cys (EEEC) provide the best labeling stability. The glutamate containing conjugates bound to EGFR-expressing cells specifically and with high affinity. Specific targeting of EGFR-expressing xenografts in mice was demonstrated. The number of glutamate residues in the chelator had strong influence on biodistribution of radiolabeled affibody molecules. Increase of glutamate content was associated with lower uptake in normal tissues. The 99mTc-labeled variant containing the EEEC chelator provided the highest tumor-to-organ ratios. In conclusion, optimizing the composition of peptide-based chelators enhances contrast of imaging of EGFR-expression using affibody molecules.
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Altai M, Westerlund K, Velletta J, Mitran B, Honarvar H, Karlström AE. Evaluation of affibody molecule-based PNA-mediated radionuclide pretargeting: Development of an optimized conjugation protocol and 177Lu labeling. Nucl Med Biol 2017; 54:1-9. [PMID: 28810153 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We have previously developed a pretargeting approach for affibody-mediated cancer therapy based on PNA-PNA hybridization. In this article we have further developed this approach by optimizing the production of the primary agent, ZHER2:342-SR-HP1, and labeling the secondary agent, HP2, with the therapeutic radionuclide 177Lu. We also studied the biodistribution profile of 177Lu-HP2 in mice, and evaluated pretargeting with 177Lu-HP2 in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The biodistribution profile of 177Lu-HP2 was evaluated in NMRI mice and compared to the previously studied 111In-HP2. Pretargeting using 177Lu-HP2 was studied in vitro using the HER2-expressing cell lines BT-474 and SKOV-3, and in vivo in mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Using an optimized production protocol for ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 the ligation time was reduced from 15h to 30min, and the yield increased from 45% to 70%. 177Lu-labeled HP2 binds specifically in vitro to BT474 and SKOV-3 cells pre-treated with ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. 177Lu-HP2 was shown to have a more rapid blood clearance compared to 111In-HP2 in NMRI mice, and the measured radioactivity in blood was 0.22±0.1 and 0.68±0.07%ID/g for 177Lu- and 111In-HP2, respectively, at 1h p.i. In contrast, no significant difference in kidney uptake was observed (4.47±1.17 and 3.94±0.58%ID/g for 177Lu- and 111In-HP2, respectively, at 1h p.i.). Co-injection with either Gelofusine or lysine significantly reduced the kidney uptake for 177Lu-HP2 (1.0±0.1 and 1.6±0.2, respectively, vs. 2.97±0.87%ID/g in controls at 4h p.i.). 177Lu-HP2 accumulated in SKOV-3 xenografts in BALB/C nu/nu mice when administered after injection of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. Without pre-injection of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1, the uptake of 177Lu-HP2 was about 90-fold lower in tumor (0.23±0.08 vs. 20.7±3.5%ID/g). The tumor-to-kidney radioactivity accumulation ratio was almost 5-fold higher in the group of mice pre-injected with ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. In conclusion, 177Lu-HP2 was shown to be a promising secondary agent for affibody-mediated tumor pretargeting in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristina Westerlund
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Justin Velletta
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bogdan Mitran
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hadis Honarvar
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Abstract
The human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) has in recent years been recognized as a key node in the complex signaling network of many different cancers. It is implicated in de novo and acquired resistance against therapies targeting other growth factor receptors, e.g., EGFR, HER2, and it is a major activator of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Consequently, HER3 has attracted substantial attention, and is today a key target for drugs in clinical development. Sophisticated protein engineering approaches have enabled the generation of a range of different affinity proteins targeting this receptor, including antibodies and alternative scaffolds that are either mono- or bispecific. Here, we describe HER3 and its role as a key tumor target, and give a comprehensive review of HER3-targeted proteins currently in development, including discussions on the opportunities and challenges of targeting this receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Malm
- a Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE , Stockholm
| | - Fredrik Y Frejd
- b Affibody AB, SE, Stockholm , Sweden.,c Department of Immunology , Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- a Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE , Stockholm
| | - John Löfblom
- a Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, SE , Stockholm
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Fleetwood F, Güler R, Gordon E, Ståhl S, Claesson-Welsh L, Löfblom J. Novel affinity binders for neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:1671-83. [PMID: 26552422 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2088-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis denotes the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature. Progression of diseases such as cancer and several ophthalmological disorders may be promoted by excess angiogenesis. Novel therapeutics to inhibit angiogenesis and diagnostic tools for monitoring angiogenesis during therapy, hold great potential for improving treatment of such diseases. We have previously generated so-called biparatopic Affibody constructs with high affinity for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2), which recognize two non-overlapping epitopes in the ligand-binding site on the receptor. Affibody molecules have previously been demonstrated suitable for imaging purposes. Their small size also makes them attractive for applications where an alternative route of administration is beneficial, such as topical delivery using eye drops. In this study, we show that decreasing linker length between the two Affibody domains resulted in even slower dissociation from the receptor. The new variants of the biparatopic Affibody bound to VEGFR2-expressing cells, blocked VEGFA binding, and inhibited VEGFA-induced signaling of VEGFR2 over expressing cells. Moreover, the biparatopic Affibody inhibited sprout formation of endothelial cells in an in vitro angiogenesis assay with similar potency as the bivalent monoclonal antibody ramucirumab. This study demonstrates that the biparatopic Affibody constructs show promise for future therapeutic as well as in vivo imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippa Fleetwood
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rezan Güler
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma Gordon
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsv. 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Ståhl
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Claesson-Welsh
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjöldsv. 20, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John Löfblom
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Malm M, Bass T, Gudmundsdotter L, Lord M, Frejd FY, Ståhl S, Löfblom J. Engineering of a bispecific affibody molecule towards HER2 and HER3 by addition of an albumin-binding domain allows for affinity purification and in vivo half-life extension. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:1215-22. [PMID: 24678002 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 02/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Emerging strategies in cancer biotherapy include the generation and application of bispecific antibodies, targeting two tumor-associated antigens for improved tumor selectivity and potency. Here, an alternative format for bispecific molecules was designed and investigated, in which two Affibody molecules were linked by an albumin-binding domain (ABD). Affibody molecules are small (6 kDa) affinity proteins and this new format allows for engineering of molecules with similar function as full-length bispecific antibodies, but in a dramatically smaller size (around eight-fold smaller). The ABD was intended to function both as a tag for affinity purification as well as for in vivo half-life extension in future preclinical and clinical investigations. Affinity-purified bispecific Affibody molecules, targeting HER2 and HER3, showed simultaneous binding to the three target proteins (HER2, HER3, and albumin) when investigated in biosensor assays. Moreover, simultaneous interactions with the receptors and albumin were demonstrated using flow cytometry on cancer cells. The bispecific Affibody molecules were also able to block ligand-induced phosphorylation of the HER receptors, indicating an anti-proliferative effect. We believe that this compact and flexible format has great potential for developing new potent bispecific affinity proteins in the future, as it combines the benefits of a small size (e.g. improved tissue penetration and reduced cost of goods) with a long circulatory half-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Malm
- Division of Protein Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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