177Lu-DO3A-HSA-Z EGFR:1907: characterization as a potential radiopharmaceutical for radionuclide therapy of EGFR-expressing head and neck carcinomas.

Abstract

Epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR) is an attractive target for radionuclide therapy of head and neck carcinomas. Affibody molecules against EGFR (Z(EGFR)) show excellent tumor localizations in imaging studies. However, one major drawback is that radiometal-labeled Affibody molecules display extremely high uptakes in the radiosensitive kidneys which may impact their use as radiotherapeutic agents. The purpose of this study is to further explore whether radiometal-labeled human serum albumin (HSA)-Z(EFGR) bioconjugates display desirable profiles for the use in radionuclide therapy of EGFR-positive head and neck carcinomas. The Z(EFGR) analog, Ac-Cys-Z(EGFR:1907), was site-specifically conjugated with HSA. The resulting bioconjugate 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A)-HSA-Z(EGFR:1907) was then radiolabeled with either (64)Cu or (177)Lu and subjected to in vitro cell uptake and internalization studies using the human oral squamous carcinoma cell line SAS. Positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and biodistribution studies were conducted using SAS-tumor-bearing mice. Cell studies revealed a high (8.43 ± 0.55 % at 4 h) and specific (0.95 ± 0.09 % at 4 h) uptake of (177)Lu-DO3A-HSA-Z(EGFR:1907) as determined by blocking with nonradioactive Z(EGFR:1907). The internalization of (177)Lu-DO3A-HSA-Z(EGFR:1907) was verified in vitro and found to be significantly higher than that of (177)Lu-labeled Z(EFGR) at 2-24 h of incubation. PET and SPECT studies showed good tumor imaging contrasts. The biodistribution of (177)Lu-DO3A-HSA-Z(EGFR:1907) in SAS-tumor-bearing mice displayed high tumor uptake (5.1 ± 0.44 % ID/g) and liver uptake (31.5 ± 7.66 % ID/g) and moderate kidney uptake (8.5 ± 1.08 % ID/g) at 72 h after injection. (177)Lu-DO3A-HSA-Z(EGFR:1907) shows promising in vivo profiles and may be a potential radiopharmaceutical for radionuclide therapy of EGFR-expressing head and neck carcinomas.

• Authors: Susan Hoppmann, Shibo Qi, Zheng Miao, Hongguang Liu, Han Jiang, Cathy S Cutler, Ande Bao, Zhen Cheng
• Journal: Journal of biological inorganic chemistry : JBIC : a publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry (J Biol Inorg Chem) Vol. 17 Issue 5 Pg. 709-18 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1432-1327 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 22418921 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid
• Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring
• Peptides
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Serum Albumin
• Lutetium
• Copper
• ErbB Receptors

Topics

• Amino Acid Sequence
• Animals
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Copper (chemistry, pharmacokinetics)
• ErbB Receptors (genetics, metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, radiotherapy)
• Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring (chemistry, pharmacokinetics)
• Humans
• Lutetium (chemistry, pharmacokinetics)
• Mice
• Mice, Nude
• Models, Molecular
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Peptides (chemistry, metabolism, pharmacokinetics)
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals (chemistry, pharmacokinetics)
• Serum Albumin (chemistry, pharmacokinetics)
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
• Tissue Distribution
• Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon