Development and therapeutic evaluation of 5D3(CC-MLN8237)3.2 antibody-theranostic conjugates for PSMA-positive prostate cancer therapy

Prostate cancer (PC) is an aggressive cancer that can progress rapidly and eventually become castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Stage IV metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is an incurable late-stage cancer type with a low 5-year overall survival rate. Targeted therapeutics such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) based on high-affinity monoclonal antibodies and potent drugs conjugated via smart linkers are being developed for PC management. Conjugating further with in vitro or in vivo imaging agents, ADCs can be used as antibody-theranostic conjugates (ATCs) for diagnostic and image-guided drug delivery. In this study, we have developed a novel ATC for PSMA (+) PC therapy utilizing (a) anti-PSMA 5D3 mAb, (b) Aurora A kinase inhibitor, MLN8237, and (c) for the first time using tetrazine (Tz) and trans-cyclooctene (TCO) click chemistry-based conjugation linker (CC linker) in ADC development. The resulting 5D3(CC-MLN8237)3.2 was labeled with suitable fluorophores for in vitro and in vivo imaging. The products were characterized by SDS-PAGE, MALDI-TOF, and DLS and evaluated in vitro by optical imaging, flow cytometry, and WST-8 assay for cytotoxicity in PSMA (+/-) cells. Therapeutic efficacy was determined in human PC xenograft mouse models following a designed treatment schedule. After the treatment study animals were euthanized, and toxicological studies, complete blood count (CBC), blood clinical chemistry analysis, and H&E staining of vital organs were conducted to determine side effects and systemic toxicities. The IC50 values of 5D3(CC-MLN8237)3.2-AF488 in PSMA (+) PC3-PIP and PMSA (-) PC3-Flu cells are 8.17 nM and 161.9 nM, respectively. Pure MLN8237 shows 736.9 nM and 873.4 nM IC50 values for PC3-PIP and PC3-Flu cells, respectively. In vivo study in human xenograft mouse models confirmed high therapeutic efficacy of 5D3(CC-MLN8237)3.2-CF750 with significant control of PSMA (+) tumor growth with minimal systemic toxicity in the treated group compared to PSMA (-) treated and untreated groups. Approximately 70% of PSMA (+) PC3-PIP tumors did not exceed the threshold of the tumor size in the surrogate Kaplan-Meyer analysis. The novel ATC successfully controlled the growth of PSMA (+) tumors in preclinical settings with minimal systemic toxicities. The therapeutic efficacy and favorable safety profile of novel 5D3(CC-MLN8237)3.2 ATC demonstrates their potential use as a theranostic against aggressive PC.

PET-MR Guided, Pre-targeted delivery to HER2(+) Breast Cancer Model

Purpose: HER2(+) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal cancer types among females. While initially effective, targeted therapeutic approaches with trastuzumab and pertuzumab antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) lack long-term efficacy against HER2(+) mBC and can cause severe systemic toxicity due to off-target effects. Therefore, the development of novel targeted delivery platforms that minimize toxicity and increase therapeutic efficacy is critical to the treatment of HER2(+) breast cancer (BC). A pretargeting delivery platform can minimize the non-specific accumulation and off-target toxicity caused by traditional one-step delivery method by separating the single delivery step into a pre-targeting step with high-affinity biomarker binding ligand followed by the subsequent delivery step of therapeutic component with fast clearance. Each delivery component is functionalized with bioorthogonal reactive groups that quickly react in situ , forming cross-linked clusters on the cell surface, which facilitates rapid internalization and intracellular delivery of therapeutics. Procedures: We have successfully developed a click chemistry-based pretargeting platform for HER2(+) BC enabling PET-MR image guidance for reduced radiation dose, high sensitivity, and good soft tissue contrast. Radiolabeled trastuzumab and superparamagnetic iron-oxide carriers (uSPIO) were selected as pretargeting and delivery components, respectively. HER2(+) BT-474 cell line and corresponding xenografts were used for in vitro and in vivo studies. Results: An enhanced tumor accumulation as well as tumor- to-organ accumulation ratio was observed in pretargeted mice up to 24 h post uSPIO injection. A 40% local T 1 decrease in the pretargeted mice tumor was observed within 4 h, and an overall 15% T 1 drop was retained for 24 h post uSPIO injection. Conclusions: Prolonged tumor retention and increased tumor-to-organ accumulation ratio provided a solid foundation for pretargeted image-guided delivery approach for in vivo applications.

Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Nanocarriers for Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Development and In Vivo Characterization

Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (uSPIOs) are attractive platforms for the development of smart contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Oleic acid-capped uSPIOs are commercially available yet hydrophobic, hindering in vivo applications. A hydrophilic ligand with high affinity toward uSPIO surfaces can render uSPIOs water-soluble, biocompatible, and highly stable under physiological conditions. A small overall hydrodynamic diameter ensures optimal pharmacokinetics, tumor delivery profiles, and, of particular interest, enhanced T ₁ MR contrasts. In this study, for the first time, we synthesized a ligand that not only fulfills the as-proposed properties but also provides multiple reactive groups for further modifications. The synthesis delivers a facile approach using commercially available reactants, with resultant uSPIO-ligand constructs assembled through a single-step ligand exchange process. Structural and molecular size analyses confirmed size uniformity and small hydrodynamic diameter of the constructs. On average, 43 reactive amine groups were present per uSPIO nanoparticle. Its r ₁ relaxivity has been tested on a 7 Tesla MR instrument and is comparable to that of the clinically available T ₁ gadolinium-based contrast agent GBCA (1 vs 3 mM^-1 s^-1, respectively). A significant decrease in tumor T1 (15%) within 1 h of injection and complete signal recovery after 2 h were detected with a dose of 7 μg Fe/g mouse. The agent also has high r ₂ relaxivity and can be used for T ₂ contrast-enhanced MRI. Taken together, good relaxation and delivery properties and the presence of multiple surface reactive groups can facilitate its application as a universal MRI-compatible nanocarrier platform.

Dual-Modality PET-SPECT Image-Guided Pretargeting Delivery in HER2(+) Breast Cancer Models

Pretargeted drug delivery has been explored for decades as a promising approach in cancer therapy. An image-guided pretargeting strategy significantly enhances the intrinsic advantages of this approach since imaging the pretargeting step can be used for diagnostic purposes, while imaging of the drug delivery step can be utilized to evaluate drug distribution and assess therapeutic response. A trastuzumab (Tz)-based HER2 pretargeting component (Tz-TCO-[89Zr-DFO]) was developed by conjugating with trans-cyclooctene (TCO) bioorthogonal click chemistry functional groups and deferoxamine (DFO) to enable radiolabeling with a 89Zr PET tracer. The drug delivery component (HSA-DM1-Tt-[99mTc-HyNic]) was developed by conjugating human serum albumin (HSA) with mertansine (DM1), tetrazine (Tt) functional groups, and a HyNic chelator and radiolabeling with 99mTc. For ex vivo biodistribution studies, pretargeting and delivery components (without drug) were administered subsequently to mice bearing human HER2(+) breast cancer xenografts, and a high tumor uptake of Tz-TCO-[89Zr-DFO] (26.4% ID/g) and HSA-Tt-[99mTc-HyNic] (4.6% ID/g) was detected at 24 h postinjection. In vivo treatment studies were performed in the same HER2(+) breast cancer model using PET-SPECT image guidance. The increased tumor uptake of the pretargeting and drug delivery components was detected by PET-CT and SPECT-CT, respectively. The study showed a significant 92% reduction of the relative tumor volume in treated mice (RTV = 0.08 in 26 days), compared to the untreated control mice (RTV = 1.78 in 11 days) and to mice treated with only HSA-DM1-Tt-[99mTc-HyNic] (RTV = 1.88 in 16 days). Multimodality PET-SPECT image-guided and pretargeted drug delivery can be utilized to maximize efficacy, predict therapeutic response, and minimize systemic toxicity.

Development of 5D3-DM1: A Novel Anti-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Antibody-Drug Conjugate for PSMA-Positive Prostate Cancer Therapy

Prostate cancer (PC) is a potentially high-risk disease and the most common cancer in American men. It is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in the US, second only to lung and bronchus cancer. Advanced and metastatic PC is initially treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), but nearly all cases eventually progress to castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). CRPC is incurable in the metastatic stage but can be slowed by some conventional chemotherapeutics and second-generation ADT, such as enzalutamide and abiraterone. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is overexpressed in almost all aggressive PCs. PSMA is widely used as a target for PC imaging and drug delivery. Anti-PSMA monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed as bioligands for diagnostic imaging and targeted PC therapy. However, these mAbs are successfully used in PC imaging and only a few have gone beyond phase-I for targeted therapy. The 5D3 mAb is a novel, high-affinity, and fast-internalizing anti-PSMA antibody. Importantly, 5D3 mAb demonstrates a unique pattern of cellular localization to the centrosome after internalization in PSMA(+) PC3-PIP cells. These characteristics make 5D3 mAb an ideal bioligand to deliver tubulin inhibitors, such as mertansine, to the cell centrosome, leading to mitotic arrest and elimination of dividing PC cells. We have successfully developed a 5D3 mAb- and mertansine (DM1)-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and evaluated it in vitro for binding affinity, internalization, and cytotoxicity. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of 5D3-DM1 ADC was evaluated in PSMA(+) PC3-PIP and PSMA(-) PC3-Flu mouse models of human PC. This therapeutic study has revealed that this new anti-PSMA ADC can successfully control the growth of PSMA(+) tumors without inducing systemic toxicity.

Theranostic Pretargeting Drug Delivery and Imaging Platforms in Cancer Precision Medicine

Theranostics are nano-size or molecular-level agents serving for both diagnosis and therapy. Structurally, they are drug delivery systems integrated with molecular or targeted imaging agents. Theranostics are becoming popular because they are targeted therapeutics and can be used with no or minimal changes for diagnostic imaging to aid in precision medicine. Thus, there is a close relation between theranostics and image-guided therapy (IGT), and theranostics are actually a subclass of IGT in which both therapeutic and imaging functionalities are attributed to a single platform. An important theranostics strategy is biological pretargeting. In pretargeted IGT, first, the target is identified by a target-specific natural or synthetic bioligand followed by a nano-scale or molecular drug delivery component, which form therapeutic clusters by in situ conjugation reactions. If pretargeted drug delivery platforms are labeled with multimodal imaging probes, they can be used as theranostics for both diagnostic imaging and therapy. Optical and nuclear imaging techniques have mostly been used in proof-of-concept studies with pretargeted theranostics. The concept of pretargeting in theranostics is comparatively novel and generally requires a confirmed overexpression of surface receptors on targeted cells/tissue. In addition, the receptors should have natural or synthetic bioligands to be used as pretargeting components. Therefore, applications of pretargeting theranostics are still limited to several cancer types, which overexpress cell-surface markers on the target cancer cells. In this review, recent discoveries of pretargeting theranostics in breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal cancers are discussed to highlight main strengths and potential limitations the strategy.

Cellular Delivery of Bioorthogonal Pretargeting Therapeutics in PSMA-Positive Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is primarily fatal after it becomes metastatic and castration-resistant despite novel combined hormonal and chemotherapeutic regimens. Hence, new therapeutic concepts and drug delivery strategies are urgently needed for the eradication of this devastating disease. Here we report the highly specific, in situ click chemistry driven pretargeted delivery of cytotoxic drug carriers to PSMA(+) prostate cancer cells. Anti-PSMA 5D3 mAb and its F(ab')₂ fragments were functionalized with trans-cyclooctene (TCO), labeled with a fluorophore, and used as pretargeting components. Human serum albumin (ALB) was loaded with the DM1 antitubulin agent, functionalized with PEGylated tetrazine (PEG₄-Tz), labeled with a fluorophore, and used as the drug delivery component. The internalization kinetics of components and the therapeutic efficacy of the pretargeted click therapy were studied in PSMA(+) PC3-PIP and PSMA(-) PC3-Flu control cells. The F(ab')₂ fragments were internalized faster than 5D3 mAb in PSMA(+) PC3-PIP cells. In the two-component pretargeted imaging study, both components were colocalized in a perinuclear location of the cytoplasm of PC3-PIP cells. Better colocalization was achieved when 5D3 mAb was used as the pretargeting component. Consecutively, the in vitro cell viability study shows a significantly higher therapeutic effect of click therapy in PC3-PIP cells when 5D3 mAb was used for pretargeting, compared to its F(ab')₂ derivative. 5D3 mAb has a longer lifetime on the cell surface, when compared to its F(ab')₂ analogue, enabling efficient cross-linking with the drug delivery component and increased efficacy. Pretargeting and drug delivery components were cross-linked via multiple bioorthogonal click chemistry reactions on the surface of PSMA(+) PC cells forming nanoclusters, which undergo fast cellular internalization and intracellular transport to perinuclear locations.

Theranostics and metabolotheranostics for precision medicine in oncology

Most diseases, especially cancer, would significantly benefit from precision medicine where treatment is shaped for the individual. The concept of theragnostics or theranostics emerged around 2002 to describe the incorporation of diagnostic assays into the selection of therapy for this purpose. Increasingly, theranostics has been used for strategies that combine noninvasive imaging-based diagnostics with therapy. Within the past decade theranostic imaging has transformed into a rapidly expanding field that is located at the interface of diagnosis and therapy. A critical need in cancer treatment is to minimize damage to normal tissue. Molecular imaging can be applied to identify targets specific to cancer with imaging, design agents against these targets to visualize their delivery, and monitor response to treatment, with the overall purpose of minimizing collateral damage. Genomic and proteomic profiling can provide an extensive 'fingerprint' of each tumor. With this cancer fingerprint, theranostic agents can be designed to personalize treatment for precision medicine of cancer, and minimize damage to normal tissue. Here, for the first time, we have introduced the term 'metabolotheranostics' to describe strategies where disease-based alterations in metabolic pathways detected by MRS are specifically targeted with image-guided delivery platforms to achieve disease-specific therapy. The versatility of MRI and MRS in molecular and functional imaging makes these technologies especially important in theranostic MRI and 'metabolotheranostics'. Our purpose here is to provide insights into the capabilities and applications of this exciting new field in cancer treatment with a focus on MRI and MRS.

Click Chemistry in the Development of Contrast Agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Click chemistry provides fast, convenient, versatile, and reliable chemical reactions that take place between pairs of functional groups of small molecules that can be purified without chromatographic methods. Due to the fast kinetics and low or no elimination of byproducts, click chemistry is a promising approach that is rapidly gaining acceptance in drug discovery, radiochemistry, bioconjugation, and nanoscience applications. Increasing use of click chemistry in synthetic procedures or as a bioconjugation technique in diagnostic imaging is occurring because click reactions are fast, provide a quantitative yield, and produce a minimal amount of nontoxic byproducts. This review summarizes the recent application of click chemistry in magnetic resonance imaging and discusses the directions for applying novel click reactions and strategies for further improving magnetic resonance imaging performance.

Non-Temperature Induced Effects of Magnetized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Alternating Magnetic Field in Cancer Cells

This paper reports the damaging effects of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (MNP) on magnetically labeled cancer cells when subjected to oscillating gradients in a strong external magnetic field. Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were labeled with MNP, placed in the high magnetic field, and subjected to oscillating gradients generated by an imaging gradient system of a 9.4T preclinical MRI system. Changes in cell morphology and a decrease in cell viability were detected in cells treated with oscillating gradients. The cytotoxicity was determined qualitatively and quantitatively by microscopic imaging and cell viability assays. An approximately 26.6% reduction in cell viability was detected in magnetically labeled cells subjected to the combined effect of a static magnetic field and oscillating gradients. No reduction in cell viability was observed in unlabeled cells subjected to gradients, or in MNP-labeled cells in the static magnetic field. As no increase in local temperature was observed, the cell damage was not a result of hyperthermia. Currently, we consider the coherent motion of internalized and aggregated nanoparticles that produce mechanical moments as a potential mechanism of cell destruction. The formation and dynamics of the intracellular aggregates of nanoparticles were visualized by optical and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The images revealed a rapid formation of elongated MNP aggregates in the cells, which were aligned with the external magnetic field. This strategy provides a new way to eradicate a specific population of MNP-labeled cells, potentially with magnetic resonance imaging guidance using standard MRI equipment, with minimal side effects for the host.

Bioorthogonal two-component drug delivery in HER2(+) breast cancer mouse models

The HER2 receptor is overexpressed in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and a poor prognosis. Trastuzumab is a first-line targeted drug used against HER2(+) breast cancers; however, at least 50% of HER2(+) tumors develop resistance to trastuzumab. To treat these patients, trastuzumab-based antibody-drug conjugates (ACDs) have been developed and are currently used in the clinic. Despite their high efficacy, the long circulation half-life and non-specific binding of cytotoxic ADCs can result in systemic toxicity. In addition, standard ADCs do not provide an image-guided mode of administration. Here, we have developed a two-component, two-step, pre-targeting drug delivery system integrated with image guidance to circumvent these issues. In this strategy, HER2 receptors are pre-labeled with a functionalized trastuzumab antibody followed by the delivery of drug-loaded nanocarriers. Both components are cross-linked by multiple bioorthogonal click reactions in situ on the surface of the target cell and internalized as nanoclusters. We have explored the efficacy of this delivery strategy in HER2(+) human breast cancer models. Our therapeutic study confirms the high therapeutic efficacy of the new delivery system, with no significant toxicity.

Noninvasive Imaging of Liposomal Delivery of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles to Orthotopic Human Breast Tumor in Mice

PURPOSE

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used for diagnostic imaging in preclinical studies and in clinical settings. Considering the intrinsic low sensitivity and poor specificity of standard MRI contrast agents, the enhanced delivery of MRI tracers into tumors is an important challenge to be addressed. This study was intended to investigate whether delivery of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) can be enhanced by liposomal SPION formulations for either "passive" delivery into tumor via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect or "active" targeted delivery to tumor endothelium via the receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFRs).

METHODS

In vivo MRI of orthotopic MDA-MB-231 tumors was performed on a preclinical 9.4 T MRI scanner following intravenous administration of either free/non-targeted or targeted liposomal SPIONs.

RESULTS

In vivo MRI study revealed that only the non-targeted liposomal formulation provided a statistically significant accumulation of SPIONs in the tumor at four hours post-injection. The EPR effect contributes to improved accumulation of liposomal SPIONs in tumors compared to the presumably more transient retention during the targeting of the tumor vasculature via VEGFRs.

CONCLUSIONS

A non-targeted liposomal formulation of SPIONs could be the optimal option for MRI detection of breast tumors and for the development of therapeutic liposomes for MRI-guided therapy.

Abstract 4572: Bioorthogonal, two-component drug delivery in HER2(+) breast cancer mouse models

The HER2 receptors are overexpressed in ∼25% of breast cancer patients and characterized by poor internalization capability. The humanized monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Tz), is used as a first-line treatment for HER2(+) breast cancers. However, approximately 50% of patients with HER2(+) disease do not benefit from trastuzumab or the disease becomes refractory to the drug. We have demonstrated a target-specific intracellular delivery of therapeutics using new two-step/two-component drug delivery system driven by click chemistry that results in the in situ complexation and rapid internalization. Two delivery strategies based on azide (Az)/dibenzylcyclooctyne (DBCO), (Click-1) and trans-cyclooctene (TCO)/tertrazine (Tt), (Click-2) bioorthogonal click reactions were tested in human HER2(+) breast cancer mouse models. Trastuzumab was functionalized with Az or TCO groups and labeled with NIR CF-680 dye, to prepare Tz(Az/TCO)a(CF-680)b as the pretargeting component. Albumin substituted with paclitaxel (Px), functionalized with DBCO or Tt, and labeled with NIR CF-750 dye to prepare Alb(DBCO/Tt)x(Px)y(CF-750)z was used as the second delivery component. BT-474 HER2(+) breast cancer models were grown in athymic nude mice. Five groups of mice (a) untreated/PBS (b) first-component without Az, control for Click-1 (c) treated by Click-1 (d) first-component without TCO, control for Click-2, and (e) treated by Click-2 were used for the study. On day 0 mice were imaged with in vivo Xenogen optical imaging system and injected with the first pretargeting component followed by the second drug delivery component after 6h. Similarly, the second dose was administered on day 7. Mice were imaged at days 0 and 7 after administration of therapy to confirm the accumulation of components in tumors. Tumor volumes were measured every forth day up to day 20. After 21 days mice were sacrificed and tumors were extracted and analyzed by H&E staining for possible necrosis. Accumulation of the pretargeting and delivery components were observed in mice treated under Click-1 and Click-2 conditions compared to the corresponding controls and untreated mice. However, the accumulation was significantly higher in Click-2 group in comparison to all other groups. In addition, both pretargeting and delivery components were retained in the tumor for much longer time in Click-2 group than in other groups. We observed a tumor shrinking and significant decrease of tumor growth rate in Click-2 group. The results were confirmed by H&E immunohistochemistry analysis showing significant necrotic area in the Click-2 treated groups.

Citation Format: Sudath Hapuarachchige, Wenlian Zhu, Yoshinori Kato, Dmitri Artemov. Bioorthogonal, two-component drug delivery in HER2(+) breast cancer mouse models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4572. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4572

Bioorthogonal, two-component delivery systems based on antibody and drug-loaded nanocarriers for enhanced internalization of nanotherapeutics

Nanocarriers play an important role in targeted cancer chemotherapy. The optimal nanocarrier delivery system should provide efficient and highly specific recognition of the target cells and rapid internalization of the therapeutic cargo to reduce systemic toxicity as well as to increase the cytotoxicity to cancer cells. To this end, we developed a two-step, two-component targeted delivery system based on antibody and drug-loaded nanocarrier that uses bioorthogonal click reactions for specific internalization of nanotherapeutics. The pretargeting component, anti-HER2 humanized monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab, functionalized with azide groups labels cancer cells that overexpress HER2 surface receptors. The drug carrier component, dibenzylcyclooctyne substituted albumin conjugated with paclitaxel, reacts specifically with the pretargeting component. These two components form cross-linked clusters on the cell surface, which facilitates the internalization of the complex. This strategy demonstrated substantial cellular internalization of clusters consisted of HER2 receptors, modified trastuzumab and paclitaxel-loaded albumin nanocarriers, and subsequent significant cytotoxicity in HER2-positive BT-474 breast cancer cells. Our results show high efficacy of this strategy for targeted nanotherapeutics. We foresee to broaden the applications of this strategy using agents such as radionuclides, toxins, and interfering RNA.

Abstract 5667: Cytotoxicity of two-component drug delivery systems targeting HER2(+) cancer cells

The HER2 (ErbB-2) is a class of epidermal growth factor receptors, which is overexpressed in 20-30% breast cancer cases that consequently show poor prognosis, cancer growth, and progression. Trastuzumab is a humanized, monoclonal antibody widely used as a first line therapeutic against HER2(+) breast cancers. However, recent clinical observations reveal that approximately half of patients with HER2(+) disease do not benefit from trastuzumab or have disease that becomes refractory to it. The combination therapy based on antibody-drug conjugates is a promising strategy to overcome the immunotherapeutic resistance of tumors. Since single delivery components face the barriers of extravasation from vessels and diffusion to the target site, we have developed a sequential two-component delivery system where components are assembled on the target cell surface and internalized delivering high dose of therapeutics. In this study, trastuzumab was functionalized with PEGylated azide groups and labeled with rhodamine or NIR CF-680 dyes, to obtained T(PEG4-Az)8(Rhod/CF-680)2 as a first delivery component. Albumin (BSA) was functionalized with strain-promoted alkyne (DIBO), substituted with paclitaxel, and labeled with Alexa Fluor 488 or CF-750 to obtained A(DIBO)10(Pac)2(Alexa 488/CF-750)2 as the second delivery component. Substitution of paclitaxel was carried out with sulfo-NHS-paclitaxel which increases the solubility of the drug in reaction medium. While reduced solubility of paclitaxel modified BSA was observed for the substitution of >5 paclitaxel molecules, one to four paclitaxel substitutions on BSA shows no precipitations in PBS. The in vivo cytotoxicity of the two-component delivery system was assessed using HER2(+) overexperssing BT-474 breast cancer cells and a standard WST-8 assay. For in vitro therapeutic study, we used T(PEG4-Az)8(CF-680)2 and A(DIBO)10(Pac)2(CF-750)2 (with non-functionalized trastuzumab as the first component in controls). We observed an increased cytotoxicity of the two-component delivery system with IC50 of 0.101 μM, comparing to IC50 of 0.247 μM for the control.

Citation Format: Sudath Hapuarachchige, Yoshinori Kato, Dmitri Artemov. Cytotoxicity of two-component drug delivery systems targeting HER2(+) cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5667. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5667

Abstract 727: Specific destruction of iron oxide labeled cancer cells by variable gradient magnetic field

Minimally invasive cancer therapy with nanostructures such as hyperthermia treatment with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles that has been recently demonstrated, represents novel highly important strategy for cancer management. In this study we have demonstrated that oscillating gradients of magnetic field induce significant non-thermal damage to cells labeled with magnetic SPIO nanoparticles. Iron oxide labeling was achieved either by specific cell surface labeling with biotinylated trastuzumab antibody followed by streptavidin-conjugated SPIO nanoparticles (MiltenyiBiotec) at 4 °C to prevent internalization, or by internalization of BNF-starch nanoparticles (Micromod Partikeltechnologie) using standard cell transfection reagents. Both protocols resulted in an efficient cell labeling with SPIO confirmed by Prussian blue staining. The novel treatment procedure, called GIFT (gradient-induced Fe therapy), was implemented on a small animal Bruker Biospec 9.4T MRI scanner equipped with G060 gradient system. SPIO nanoparticles can also serve as MRI contrast agent thus enabling image-guided delivery of therapy. Cell samples or mice were positioned in the center of the gradient system of the magnet, and cycling gradients with the amplitude of Gmax = 93.5 G/cm were applied for variable periods of time. The sample temperature was stabilized by a home-built temperature controlled chamber. The treatment resulted in an efficient destruction of both surface labeled and SPIO loaded human breast cancer HER2/neu positive BT-474 cells. We also obtained preliminary results for in vivo GIFT therapy with human breast cancer MDA-MB-231/luc models expressing firefly luciferase. Cancer cells prelabeled with BNF nanoparticles were inoculated orthotopically and GIFT and T2 MR imaging were initiated starting from 48h after the tumor inoculation. The tumor viability following the treatment was longitudinally evaluated by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and by histological endpoints. GIFT therapy resulted in significant reduction of BLI intensities from SPIO prelabeled tumors, whereas no effect was observed for unlabeled tumors or when no gradients were applied. We hypothesize that variable gradients induce structural damage to iron-oxide labeled cells in the presence of strong polarizing magnetic field and that the potential mechanism may include mechanical destruction of cell membranes and/or organelles by magnetically polarized nanoparticles or their aggregates and is not related to hyperthermia induced by the radiofrequency. GIFT can be implemented on a standard MRI system that makes the technology applicable for clinical use.

Citation Format: Sudath Hapuarachchige, Yoshinori Kato, Dmitri Artemov. Specific destruction of iron oxide labeled cancer cells by variable gradient magnetic field. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 727. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-727

Abstract 2237: Synthesis and characterization of novel, membrane permeable estradiol fluorophores that maintain estrogenic activity

The ability to label biomolecules with fluorescent tags has become essential in basic cancer research and offers great promise for improvements in clinical diagnostics. The structure and physicochemical properties of the fluorescent tag have the potential of altering binding and activity characteristics of the conjugates, therefore it is desirable to use small, neutral, membrane permeable and biocompatible fluorescent tags with favorable photophysical properties, and versatile coupling chemistries. . Estradiol (E2) is a well-characterized ovarian steroid hormone with known measureable biological endpoints at the cellular, transcriptional, and signal transduction levels. We synthesized a new class of fluorescent estrogen derivatives from 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol conjugated to triazaborolopyridinium (HPY) dyes. The estrogenic activity of the covalently linked E2-HPY fluorophores were characterized using the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, an E2-dependent cell line that is often used as a model system to study E2-induced cell responses. The MCF-7 cells were treated with a series of E2-HPY derivatives (10nM), E2 (10nM) or vehicle control. The time points for treatment was as short as 15 minutes for effect on signal transduction to 5 days for cell proliferation endpoints. After treatment for specified time points, E2-induced proliferation was determined by growth curve analysis (1-5 days), E2-mediated progesterone receptor (PR) transcription was determined by real-time PCR (24 hours), and E2-dependent accumulation of pERK was measured by immunoblot analysis (15min). Our results indicate that the bioactivity of E2-HPY was not significantly different from unconjugated E2 for the three endpoints tested. The accumulation of E2-HPY in cells was demonstrated by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. These data indicate that E2-HPY is taken up by cells and is easily detectable. Additionally, transcriptome analysis was performed to identify potential differences in general transcriptional activation between E2 and E2-HPY. These data suggest the exciting possibility that HPY fluorophores can be covalently linked to cancer-related biomolecules to enhance basic research and for potential use as a cancer diagnostic tool in the clinical.

Citation Format: Jason E. Stailey, Sudath Hapuarachchige, Chinnasamy Ramesh, Sanjay Shrestha, Angelique M. Wimbley, Charles B. Shuster, Jeffrey B. Arterburn, Kevin D. Houston. Synthesis and characterization of novel, membrane permeable estradiol fluorophores that maintain estrogenic activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2237. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2237

Design and synthesis of a new class of membrane-permeable triazaborolopyridinium fluorescent probes

A new class of fluorescent triazaborolopyridinium compounds was synthesized from hydrazones of 2-hydrazinylpyridine (HPY) and evaluated as potential dyes for live-cell imaging applications. The HPY dyes are small, their absorption/emission properties are tunable through variation of pyridyl or hydrazone substituents, and they offer favorable photophysical characteristics featuring large Stokes shifts and general insensitivity to solvent or pH. The stability, neutral charge, cell membrane permeability, and favorable relative influences on the water solubility of HPY conjugates are complementary to existing fluorescent dyes and offer advantages for the development of receptor-targeted small-molecule probes. This potential was assessed through the development of a new class of cysteine-derived HPY-conjugate imaging agents for the kinesin spindle protein (KSP) that is expressed in the cytoplasm during mitosis and is a promising chemotherapeutic target. Conjugates possessing the neutral HPY or charged Alexa Fluor dyes that function as potent, selective allosteric inhibitors of the KSP motor were compared using biochemical and cell-based phenotypic assays and live-cell imaging. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the HPY dye moiety as a component of probes for an intracellular protein target and highlight the importance of dye structure in determining the pathway of cell entry and the overall performance of small-molecule conjugates as imaging agents.