Joanna Strand

Influence of Macrocyclic Chelators on the Targeting Properties of 68Ga-Labeled Synthetic Affibody Molecules: Comparison with 111In-Labeled Counterparts

Affibody molecules are a class of small (7 kDa) non-immunoglobulin scaffold-based affinity proteins, which have demonstrated substantial potential as probes for radionuclide molecular imaging. The use of positron emission tomography (PET) would further increase the resolution and quantification accuracy of Affibody-based imaging. The rapid in vivo kinetics of Affibody molecules permit the use of the generator-produced radionuclide 68Ga (T1/2 = 67.6 min). Earlier studies have demonstrated that the chemical nature of chelators has a substantial influence on the biodistribution properties of Affibody molecules. To determine an optimal labeling approach, the macrocyclic chelators 1,4,7,10-tetraazacylododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N,N-triacetic acid (NOTA) and 1-(1,3-carboxypropyl)-1,4,7- triazacyclononane-4,7-diacetic acid (NODAGA) were conjugated to the N-terminus of the synthetic Affibody molecule ZHER2:S1 targeting HER2. Affibody molecules were labeled with 68Ga, and their binding specificity and cellular processing were evaluated. The biodistribution of 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1, 68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 and 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1, as well as that of their 111In-labeled counterparts, was evaluated in BALB/C nu/nu mice bearing HER2-expressing SKOV3 xenografts. The tumor uptake for 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1 (17.9±0.7%IA/g) was significantly higher than for both 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1 (16.13±0.67%IA/g) and 68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 (13±3%IA/g) at 2 h after injection. 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1 had the highest tumor-to-blood ratio (60±10) in comparison with both 68Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:S1 (28±4) and 68Ga-NOTA-ZHER2:S1 (42±11). The tumor-to-liver ratio was also higher for 68Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1 (7±2) than the DOTA and NOTA conjugates (5.5±0.6 vs.3.3±0.6). The influence of chelator on the biodistribution and targeting properties was less pronounced for 68Ga than for 111In. The results of this study demonstrate that macrocyclic chelators conjugated to the N-terminus have a substantial influence on the biodistribution of HER2-targeting Affibody molecules labeled with 68Ga.This can be utilized to enhance the imaging contrast of PET imaging using Affibody molecules and improve the sensitivity of molecular imaging. The study demonstrated an appreciable difference of chelator influence for 68Ga and 111In.

HAHAHA, HEHEHE,HIHIHI or HKHKHK : influence of position and composition of histidine containing tags on biodistribution of [99mTc(CO)3]+-labeled Affibody molecules

Engineered affibody molecules can be used for high contrast in vivo molecular imaging. Extending a recombinantly produced HER2 binding affibody molecule with a hexa-histidine tag allows for convenient purification by immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography and labeling with [(99m)Tc(CO)3](+) but increases radioactivity uptake in the liver. To investigate the impact of charge, lipophilicity, and position on biodistribution, 10 variants of a histidine-based tag was attached to a HER2 binding affibody molecule. The biochemical properties and the HER2 binding affinity appeared to be similar for all variants. In vivo, positive charge promoted liver uptake. For N-terminally placed tags, lipophilicity promoted liver uptake and decreased kidney uptake. Kidney uptake was higher for C-terminally placed tags compared to their N-terminal counterparts. The variant with the amino acid composition HEHEHE placed in the N-terminus gave the lowest nonspecific uptake.

Influence of Nuclides and Chelators on Imaging Using Affibody Molecules : Comparative Evaluation of Recombinant Affibody Molecules Site-Specifically Labeled with 68Ga and 111In via Maleimido Derivatives of DOTA and NODAGA

Accurate detection of cancer-associated molecular abnormalities in tumors could make cancer treatment more personalized. Affibody molecules enable high contrast imaging of tumor-associated protein expression shortly after injection. The use of the generator-produced positron-emitting radionuclide (68)Ga should increase sensitivity of HER2 imaging. The chemical nature of radionuclides and chelators influences the biodistribution of Affibody molecules, providing an opportunity to further increase the imaging contrast. The aim of the study was to compare maleimido derivatives of DOTA and NODAGA for site-specific labeling of a recombinant ZHER2:2395 HER2-binding Affibody molecule with (68)Ga. DOTA and NODAGA were site-specifically conjugated to the ZHER2:2395 Affibody molecule having a C-terminal cysteine and labeled with (68)Ga and (111)In. All labeled conjugates retained specificity to HER2 in vitro. Most of the cell-associated activity was membrane-bound with a minor difference in internalization rate. All variants demonstrated specific targeting of xenografts and a high tumor uptake. The xenografts were clearly visualized using all conjugates. The influence of chelator on the biodistribution and targeting properties was much less pronounced for (68)Ga than for (111)In. The tumor uptake of (68)Ga-NODAGA-ZHER2:2395 and (68)Ga-DOTA-ZHER2:2395 and tumor-to-blood ratios at 2 h p.i. did not differ significantly. However, the tumor-to-liver ratio was significantly higher for (68)Ga-NODAGA- ZHER2:2395 (8 ± 2 vs 5.0 ± 0.3) offering the advantage of better liver metastases visualization. In conclusion, influence of chelators on biodistribution of Affibody molecules depends on the radionuclides and reoptimization of labeling chemistry is required when a radionuclide label is changed.

Influence of DOTA Chelator Position on Biodistribution and Targeting Properties of 111In-Labeled Synthetic Anti-HER2 Affibody Molecules

Affibody molecules are a class of affinity proteins. Their small size (7 kDa) in combination with the high (subnanomolar) affinity for a number of cancer-associated molecular targets makes them suitable for molecular imaging. Earlier studies demonstrated that the selection of radionuclide and chelator may substantially influence the tumor-targeting properties of affibody molecules. Moreover, the placement of chelators for labeling of affibody molecules with (99m)Tc at different positions in affibody molecules influenced both blood clearance rate and uptake in healthy tissues. This introduces an opportunity to improve the contrast of affibody-mediated imaging. In this comparative study, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) was conjugated to the synthetic affibody molecule Z(HER2:S1) at three different positions: DOTA-A1-Z(HER2:S1) (N-terminus), DOTA-K58-Z(HER2:S1) (C-terminus), and DOTA-K50-Z(HER2:S1) (middle of helix 3). The affinity for HER2 differed slightly among the variants and the K(D) values were determined to be 133 pM, 107 pM and 94 pM for DOTA-A1-Z(HER2:S1), DOTA-K50-Z(HER2:S1), and DOTA-K58-Z(HER2:S1), respectively. Z(HER2:S1)-K50-DOTA showed a slightly lower melting point (57 °C) compared to DOTA-A1-Z(HER2:S1) (64 °C) and DOTA-K58-Z(HER2:S1) (62 °C), but all variants showed good refolding properties after heat treatment. All conjugates were successfully labeled with (111)In resulting in a radiochemical yield of 99% with preserved binding capacity. In vitro specificity studies using SKOV-3 and LS174T cell lines showed that the binding of the radiolabeled compounds was HER2 receptor-mediated, which also was verified in vivo using BALB/C nu/nu mice with LS174T and Ramos lymphoma xenografts. The three conjugates all showed specific uptake in LS174T xenografts in nude mice, where DOTA-A1-Z(HER2:S1)and DOTA-K58-Z(HER2:S1) showed the highest uptake. Overall, DOTA-K58-Z(HER2:S1) provided the highest tumor-to-blood ratio, which is important for a high-contrast imaging. In conclusion, the positioning of the DOTA chelator influences the cellular processing and the biodistribution pattern of radiolabeled affibody molecules, creating preconditions for imaging optimization.

Gallium-68-Labeled Affibody Molecule for PET Imaging of PDGFRβ Expression in Vivo

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor involved, for example, in angiogenesis. Overexpression and excessive signaling of PDGFRβ has been observed in multiple malignant tumors and fibrotic diseases, making this receptor a pharmaceutical target for monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Successful targeted therapy requires identification of responding patients. Radionuclide molecular imaging would enable determination of the PDGFRβ status in all lesions using a single noninvasive repeatable procedure. Recently, we have demonstrated that the affibody molecule Z09591 labeled with (111)In can specifically target PDGFRβ-expressing tumors in vivo. The use of positron emission tomography (PET) as an imaging technique would provide superior resolution, sensitivity, and quantitation accuracy. In this study, a DOTA-conjugated Z09591 was labeled with the generator-produced positron emitting radionuclide (68)Ga (T1/2 = 67.6 min, Eβ + max = 1899 keV, 89% β(+)). (68)Ga-DOTA-Z09591 retained the capacity to specifically bind to PDGFRβ-expressing U-87 MG glioma cells. The half-maximum inhibition concentration (IC50) of (68)Ga-DOTA-Z09591 (6.6 ± 1.4 nM) was somewhat higher than that of (111)In-DOTA-Z09591 (1.4 ± 1.2 nM). (68)Ga-DOTA-Z09591 demonstrated specific (saturable) targeting of U-87 MG xenografts in immunodeficient mice. The tumor uptake at 2 h after injection was 3.7 ± 1.7% IA/g, which provided a tumor-to-blood ratio of 8.0 ± 3.1. The only organ with higher accumulation of radioactivity was the kidney. MicroPET imaging provided high-contrast imaging of U-87 MG xenografts. In conclusion, the (68)Ga-labeled affibody molecule Z09591 is a promising candidate for further development as a probe for imaging PDGFRβ expression in vivo using PET.

Incorporation of a triglutamyl spacer improves the biodistribution of synthetic affibody molecules radiofluorinated at the N-terminus via oxime formation with (18)F-4-fluorobenzaldehyde.

Affibody molecules are a class of affinity agents for molecular imaging based on a non-immunoglobulin protein scaffold. Previous studies have demonstrated high contrast for in vivo imaging of cancer-associated molecular abnormalities using Affibody molecules. Using the radionuclide (18)F for labeling and PET as the imaging modality, the sensitivity of molecular imaging using Affibody molecules can be further increased. The use of oxime formation between an aminooxy-functionalized peptide and (18)F-fluorobenzaldehyde ((18)F-FBA) is a promising way of radiolabeling of targeting peptides. However, previous studies demonstrated that application of this method to Affibody molecules is associated with high liver uptake. We hypothesized that incorporation of a triglutamyl spacer between the aminooxy moiety and the N-terminus of a synthetic Affibody molecule would decrease the hepatic uptake of the (18)F-N-(4-fluorobenzylidine)oxime) ((18)F-FBO)-labeled tracer. To verify this, we have produced two variants of the HER2-targeting ZHER2:342 Affibody molecule by peptide synthesis: OA-PEP4313, where aminooxyacetic acid was conjugated directly to the N-terminal alanine, and OA-E3-PEP4313, where a triglutamyl spacer was introduced between the aminooxy moiety and the N-terminus. We have found that the use of the spacer is associated with a minor decrease of affinity, from KD = 49 pM to KD = 180 pM. Radiolabeled (18)F-FBO-E3-PEP4313 demonstrated specific binding to HER2-expressing ovarian carcinoma SKOV-3 cells and slow internalization. Biodistribution studies in mice demonstrated that the use of a triglutamyl linker decreased uptake of radioactivity in liver 2.7-fold at 2 h after injection. Interestingly, radioactivity uptake in kidneys was also reduced (2.4-fold). Experiments in BALB/C nu/nu mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts demonstrated HER2-specific uptake of (18)F-FBO-E3-PEP4313 in tumors. At 2 h pi, the tumor uptake (20 ± 2% ID/g) exceeded uptake in liver 5-fold and uptake in kidneys 3.6-fold. The tumor-to-blood ratio was 21 ± 3. The microPET/CT imaging experiment confirmed the biodistribution data. In conclusion, the use of a triglutamyl spacer is a convenient way to improve the biodistribution profile of Affibody molecules labeled at the N-terminus using (18)F-FBA. It provides a tracer capable of producing high-contrast images of HER2-expressing tumors.

Targeting Free Prostate-Specific Antigen for In Vivo Imaging of Prostate Cancer Using a Monoclonal Antibody Specific for Unique Epitopes Accessible on Free Prostate-Specific Antigen Alone.

This study investigated the feasibility of targeting the free, unbound forms of prostate-specific antigen (fPSA) for in vivo imaging of prostate adenocarcinomas (PCa), as PSA is produced and secreted at abundance during every clinical stage and grade of PCa, including castration-resistant disease. We injected (125)I-labeled monoclonal antibody PSA30 (specific for an epitope uniquely accessible on fPSA alone) intravenously in male nude mice carrying subcutaneous xenografts of LNCaP tumors (n=36). Mice were sacrificed over a time course from 4 hours to 13 days after injecting (125)I-labeled PSA30. Tissue uptake of (125)I-PSA30 at 48 and 168 hours after intravenous injection was compared with two clinically used positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals, (18)F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose ((18)F-FDG) or (18)F-choline, in cryosections using Digital AutoRadiography (DAR) and also compared with immunohistochemical staining of PSA and histopathology. On DAR, the areas with high (125)I-PSA30 uptake corresponded mainly to morphologically intact and PSA-producing LNCaP cells, but did not associate with the areas of high uptake of either (18)F-FDG or (18)F-choline. Biodistribution of (125)I-PSA30 measured in dissected organs ex vivo during 4 to 312 hours after intravenous injection demonstrated maximum selective tumor uptake 24-48 hours after antibody injection. Our data showed selective uptake in vivo of a monoclonal antibody highly specific for fPSA in LNCaP cells. Hence, in vivo imaging of fPSA may be feasible with putative usefulness in disseminated PCa.

Increasing the Net Negative Charge by Replacement of DOTA Chelator with DOTAGA Improves the Biodistribution of Radiolabeled Second-Generation Synthetic Affibody Molecules.

A promising strategy to enable patient stratification for targeted therapies is to monitor the target expression in a tumor by radionuclide molecular imaging. Affibody molecules (7 kDa) are nonimmunoglobulin scaffold proteins with a 25-fold smaller size than intact antibodies. They have shown an apparent potential as molecular imaging probes both in preclinical and clinical studies. Earlier, we found that hepatic uptake can be reduced by the incorporation of negatively charged purification tags at the N-terminus of Affibody molecules. We hypothesized that liver uptake might similarly be reduced by positioning the chelator at the N-terminus, where the chelator-radionuclide complex will provide negative charges. To test this hypothesis, a second generation synthetic anti-HER2 ZHER2:2891 Affibody molecule was synthesized and labeled with (111)In and (68)Ga using DOTAGA and DOTA chelators. The chelators were manually coupled to the N-terminus of ZHER2:2891 forming an amide bond. Labeling DOTAGA-ZHER2:2891 and DOTA-ZHER2:2891 with (68)Ga and (111)In resulted in stable radioconjugates. The tumor-targeting and biodistribution properties of the (111)In- and (68)Ga-labeled conjugates were compared in SKOV-3 tumor-bearing nude mice at 2 h postinjection. The HER2-specific binding of the radioconjugates was verified both in vitro and in vivo. Using the DOTAGA chelator gave significantly lower radioactivity in liver and blood for both radionuclides. The (111)In-labeled conjugates showed more rapid blood clearance than the (68)Ga-labeled conjugates. The most pronounced influence of the chelators was found when they were labeled with (68)Ga. The DOTAGA chelator gave significantly higher tumor-to-blood (61 ± 6 vs 23 ± 5, p < 0.05) and tumor-to-liver (10.4 ± 0.6 vs 4.5 ± 0.5, p < 0.05) ratios than the DOTA chelator. This study demonstrated that chelators may be used to alter the uptake of Affibody molecules, and most likely other scaffold-based imaging probes, for improvement of imaging contrast.

188Re-ZHER2:V2, a Promising Affibody-Based Targeting Agent Against HER2-Expressing Tumors: Preclinical Assessment

Affibody molecules are small (7 kDa) nonimmunoglobulin scaffold proteins with favorable tumor-targeting properties. Studies concerning the influence of chelators on biodistribution of 99mTc-labeled Affibody molecules demonstrated that the variant with a C-terminal glycyl-glycyl-glycyl-cysteine peptide–based chelator (designated ZHER2:V2) has the best biodistribution profile in vivo and the lowest renal retention of radioactivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate 188Re-ZHER2:V2 as a potential candidate for radionuclide therapy of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)–expressing tumors. Methods: ZHER2:V2 was labeled with 188Re using a gluconate-containing kit. Targeting of HER2-overexpressing SKOV-3 ovarian carcinoma xenografts in nude mice was studied for a dosimetry assessment. Results: Binding of 188Re-ZHER2:V2 to living SKOV-3 cells was demonstrated to be specific, with an affinity of 6.4 ± 0.4 pM. The biodistribution study showed a rapid blood clearance (1.4 ± 0.1 percentage injected activity per gram [%ID/g] at 1 h after injection). The tumor uptake was 14 ± 2, 12 ± 2, 5 ± 2, and 1.8 ± 0.5 %IA/g at 1, 4, 24, and 48 h after injection, respectively. The in vivo targeting of HER2-expressing xenografts was specific. Already at 4 h after injection, tumor uptake exceeded kidney uptake (2.1 ± 0.2 %IA/g). Scintillation-camera imaging showed that tumor xenografts were the only sites with prominent accumulation of radioactivity at 4 h after injection. Based on the biokinetics, a dosimetry evaluation for humans suggests that 188Re-ZHER2:V2 would provide an absorbed dose to tumor of 79 Gy without exceeding absorbed doses of 23 Gy to kidneys and 2 Gy to bone marrow. This indicates that future human radiotherapy studies may be feasible. Conclusion: 188Re-ZHER2:V2 can deliver high absorbed doses to tumors without exceeding kidney and bone marrow toxicity limits.

Position for site-specific attachment of a DOTA chelator to synthetic affibody molecules has a different influence on the targeting properties of 68Ga- compared to 111in-labeled conjugates.

Affibody molecules, small (7 kDa) scaffold proteins, are a promising class of probes for radionuclide molecular imaging. Radiolabeling of Affibody molecules with the positron-emitting nuclide 68Ga would permit the use of positron emission tomography (PET), providing better resolution, sensitivity, and quantification accuracy than single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The synthetic anti-HER2 ZHER2:S1 Affibody molecule was conjugated with DOTA at the N-terminus, in the middle of helix 3, or at the C-terminus. The biodistribution of 68Ga- and 111In-labeled Affibody molecules was directly compared in NMRI nu/nu mice bearing SKOV3 xenografts. The position of the chelator strongly influenced the biodistribution of the tracers, and the influence was more pronounced for 68Ga-labeled Affibody molecules than for the 111In-labeled counterparts. The best 68Ga-labeled variant was 68Ga-[DOTA-A1]-ZHER2:S1 which provided a tumor uptake of 13 ± 1 %ID/g and a tumor to blood ratio of 39 ± 12 at 2 hours after injection. 111In-[DOTA-A1]-ZHER2:S1 and 111In-[DOTA-K58]-ZHER2:S1 were equally good at this time point, providing a tumor uptake of 15 to 16 %ID/g and a tumor to blood ratio in the range of 60 to 80. In conclusion, the selection of the best position for a chelator in Affibody molecules can be used for optimization of their imaging properties. This may be important for the development of Affibody-based and other protein-based imaging probes.Affibody molecules, small (7 kDa) scaffold proteins, are a promising class of probes for radionuclide molecular imaging. Radiolabeling of Affibody molecules with the positron-emitting nuclide 68Ga would permit the use of positron emission tomography (PET), providing better resolution, sensitivity, and quantification accuracy than single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The synthetic anti-HER2 ZHER2:S1 Affibody molecule was conjugated with DOTA at the N-terminus, in the middle of helix 3, or at the C-terminus. The biodistribution of 68Ga- and 111In-labeled Affibody molecules was directly compared in NMRI nu/nu mice bearing SKOV3 xenografts. The position of the chelator strongly influenced the biodistribution of the tracers, and the influence was more pronounced for 68Ga-labeled Affibody molecules than for the 111In-labeled counterparts. The best 68Ga-labeled variant was 68Ga-[DOTA-A1]-ZHER2:S1, which provided a tumor uptake of 13 ± 1 %ID/g and a tumor to blood ratio of 39 ± 12 at 2 hours after injection. 111In-[DOTA-A1]-ZHER2:S1 and 111In-[DOTA-K58]-ZHER2:S1 were equally good at this time point, providing a tumor uptake of 15 to 16 %ID/g and a tumor to blood ratio in the range of 60 to 80. In conclusion, the selection of the best position for a chelator in Affibody molecules can be used for optimization of their imaging properties. This may be important for the development of Affibody-based and other protein-based imaging probes.