Xiaona Jin

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor–Targeted Radioimmunotherapy of Human Head and Neck Cancer Xenografts Using 90Y-Labeled Fully Human Antibody Panitumumab

Panitumumab (ABX-EGF or Vectibix), the first fully human monoclonal antibody targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Here, we report for the first time the radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of EGFR-positive human head and neck cancer in a nude mouse model using pure β− emitter 90Y-labeled panitumumab. Biodistribution and planar γ-imaging studies were carried out with 111In-DOTA-panitumumab. The RIT efficacy of 90Y-DOTA-panitumumab was evaluated in UM-SCC-22B tumor model. CD31, Ki67, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling, and H&E staining were done on UM-SCC-22B tumor sections after treatment. The tumor uptake of 111In-DOTA-panitumumab in UM-SCC-22B tumor-bearing nude mice was 26.10 ± 4.93, 59.11 ± 7.22, 44.57 ± 9.80, 40.38 ± 7.76, and 14.86 ± 7.23 % injected dose per gram of tissue at 4, 24, 72, 120, and 168 hours after injection, respectively. Immunotherapy with cold panitumumab (four doses of 10 mg/kg) did not cause significant antitumor effect. RIT with a single dose of 100 μCi 90Y-DOTA-panitumumab caused significant tumor growth delay and improved the survival in UM-SCC-22B tumor model. A single dose of 200 μCi 90Y-DOTA-panitumumab led to almost complete tumor regression (tumor volumes were 34.83 ± 11.11 mm3 and 56.02 ± 39.95 mm3 on days 0 and 46 after treatment, respectively). Histopathologic analysis of tumors and normal organs further validated the therapeutic efficacy and limited systemic toxicity of 90Y-DOTA-panitumumab. The high tumor uptake and prolonged tumor retention, as well as effective therapy, reveal that 90Y-DOTA-panitumumab may be a promising radioimmunotherapeutic agent to treat EGFR-positive solid tumors. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2297–308. ©2010 AACR.

Anti-tumor effect of integrin targeted (177)Lu-3PRGD2 and combined therapy with Endostar.

Purpose: Targeted radiotherapy (TRT) is an emerging approach for tumor treatment. Previously, 3PRGD2 (a dimeric RGD peptide with 3 PEG4 linkers) has been demonstrated to be of advantage for integrin αvβ3 targeting. Given the promising results of 99mTc-3PRGD2 for lung cancer detection in human beings, we are encouraged to investigate the radiotherapeutic efficacy of radiolabeled 3PRGD2. The goal of this study was to investigate and optimize the integrin αvβ3 mediated therapeutic effect of 177Lu-3PRGD2 in the animal model. Experimental Design: Biodistribution, gamma imaging and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) studies of 177Lu-3PRGD2 were performed. The targeted radiotherapy (TRT) with single dose and repeated doses as well as the combined therapy of TRT and the anti-angiogenic therapy (AAT) with Endostar were conducted in U87MG tumor model. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunochemistry (IHC) were performed post-treatment to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Results: The U87MG tumor uptake of 177Lu-3PRGD2 was relatively high (6.03 ± 0.65 %ID/g, 4.62 ± 1.44 %ID/g, 3.55 ± 1.08 %ID/g, and 1.22 ± 0.18 %ID/g at 1 h, 4 h, 24 h, and 72 h postinjection, respectively), and the gamma imaging could visualize the tumors clearly. The MTD of 177Lu-3PRGD2 in nude mice (>111 MBq) was twice to that of 90Y-3PRGD2 (55.5 MBq). U87MG tumor growth was significantly delayed by 177Lu-3PRGD2 TRT. Significantly increased anti-tumor effects were observed in the two doses or combined treatment groups. Conclusion: The two-dose TRT and combined therapy with Endostar potently enhanced the tumor growth inhibition, but the former does not need to inject daily for weeks, avoiding a lot of unnecessary inconvenience and suffering for patients, which could potentially be rapidly translated into clinical practice in the future.

Comparison of 99mTc-3PRGD2 Integrin Receptor Imaging with 99mTc-MDP Bone Scan in Diagnosis of Bone Metastasis in Patients with Lung Cancer: A Multicenter Study

Purpose 99mTc-3PRGD2, a promising tracer targeting integrin receptor, may serve as a novel tumor-specific agent for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A multi-center study was prospectively designed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-3PRGD2 imaging for bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer in comparison with the conventional 99mTc-MDP bone scan. Methods The patients underwent whole-body scan and chest tomography successively at both 1 h and 4 h after intravenous injection of 11.1 MBq/Kg 99mTc-3PRGD2. 99mTc-MDP whole-body bone scan was routinely performed within 1 week for comparison. Three experienced nuclear medicine physicians blindly read the 99mTc-3PRGD2 and 99mTc-MDP images. The final diagnosis was established based on the comprehensive assessment of all available data. Results A total of 44 patients (29 male, 59±10 years old) with suspected lung cancer were recruited from 4 centers. Eighty-nine bone lesions in 18 patients were diagnosed as metastases and 23 bone lesions in 9 patients were benign. In a lesion-based analysis, 99mTc-3PRGD2 imaging demonstrated a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92.1%, 91.3%, and 92.0%, respectively. The corresponding diagnostic values for 99mTc-MDP bone scan were 87.6%, 60.9%, and 82.1%, respectively in the same patients. 99mTc-MDP bone scan had better contrast in most lesions, whereas the 99mTc-3PRGD2 imaging seemed to be more effective to exclude pseudo-positive lesions and detect bone metastases without osteogenesis. Conclusion 99mTc-3PRGD2 is a novel tumor-specific agent based on SPECT technology with a promising value in diagnosis of bone metastasis in patients with lung cancer. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01737112

Evaluation of 188Re-MAG2-RGD-bombesin for potential prostate cancer therapy.

Glu-RGD-bombesin (RGD-BBN) is a heterodimeric peptide that contains motifs recognizing both integrin α(v)β(3) and gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR). We evaluated here (188)Re (t(1/2)=16.9 h) labeled RGD-BBN as a potential agent for radionuclide therapy of prostate cancer. RGD-BBN was conjugated with S-benzoylmercaptoacetylglycylglycyl (MAG(2)), and then labeled with (99m)Tc or (188)Re, respectively. The dual-receptor binding affinity of MAG(2)-RGD-BBN was investigated by a radioligand competition binding assay. Biodistribution study of (188)Re-MAG(2)-RGD-BBN was carried out in normal BALB/c mice and PC-3 human prostate tumor-bearing nude mice. Gamma imaging studies were performed in PC-3 tumor-bearing nude mice. Biodistribution in normal mice showed that both (99m)Tc and (188)Re-labeled MAG(2)-RGD-BBN possessed high pancreas uptake due to the high GRPR expression of this organ. Gamma imaging with both (99m)Tc and (188)Re-labeled RGD-BBN in PC-3 tumor-bearing nude mice demonstrated high tumor uptake. The PC-3 tumors were clearly visible at 1 postinjection, with high contrast to the contralateral background. The use of chelator MAG(2) enables successful and high-yield (99m)Tc and (188)Re radiolabeling of RGD-BBN with favorable tumor targeting specificity. Further optimization may allow potential clinical application of (188)Re-MAG(2)-RGD-BBN for tumor-targeted radionuclide therapy.

Technetium 99m–Labeled VQ Peptide: A New Imaging Agent for the Early Detection of Tumors or Premalignancies

There is a critical need to develop diagnostic procedures enabling early detection of tumors while at a curable stage. Technetium 99m (99mTc)-labeled VQ peptide (99mTc-HYNIC-VQ) identified through screening phage display peptide libraries against fresh human colonic adenomas was prepared and evaluated for tumor detection. 99mTc-HYNIC-VQ was prepared by a non-SnCl2 method with more than 99% radiochemical purity. The biodistribution in the HT-29 tumor model showed that although the absolute tumor uptake values were relatively low (0.60 ± 0.09, 0.41 ± 0.09, 0.36 ± 0.18, and 0.19 ± 0.08 %ID/g at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 hours postinjection, respectively), the tumor uptake was higher than that of any of the other organs except for the kidneys at any time point examined, which led to the high tumor to nontarget ratios. The tumors and inflammation were clearly visualized with high contrast. Although the mechanism of accumulation of radiolabeled VQ peptide in tumors and inflammation needs to be further investigated, 99mTc-HYNIC-VQ is a promising imaging agent for the early detection of tumors or premalignancies, at least for screening patients with a high risk of developing cancers.