| 1. |
- Ahlgren, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Kit formulation for 99mTc-labeling of recombinant anti-HER2 Affibody molecules with a C-terminally engineered cysteine
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Nuclear Medicine and Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-8051 .- 1872-9614. ; 37:5, s. 539-546
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Molecular imaging of HER2-expression in malignant tumors provides potentially important information for patient management. Affibody molecules have shown to be suitable tracers for imaging applications using SPECT or PET. Results from an earlier evaluation of the application of site specific 99mTc-labeling on the Affibody molecule, ZHER2:2395-C, were favorable. Methods: As a preparation for clinical application of this tracer we have developed and evaluated a robust single-vial freeze-dried kit, allowing labeling of the Affibody molecule, ZHER2:2395-C, with 99mTc. Results: The composition of the kit (containing glucoheptonate, EDTA and tin(II)-chloride), as well as the protein amount and the pertechnetate volume were optimized for a high labeling yield (> 90 %) and minimal presence of reduced hydrolyzed technetium colloids (< 1 %). The specificity to HER2 receptors, the binding competence and the stability in PBS and murine serum were verified in vitro. The shelf-life was also evaluated in vitro, showing no reduction in labeling yield or binding capacity to HER2-expressing cells after over 400 days of storage of the single-vial freeze-dried kit. Conclusions: ZHER2:2395-C labeled with 99mTc using the lyophilized kit was stable and resulted in a favorable biodistribution in an in vivo evaluation in normal NMRI mice.
|
|
| 2. |
- Ahlgren, Sara, 1979-
(författare)
-
Molecular Radionuclide Imaging Using Site-specifically Labelled Recombinant Affibody Molecules : Preparation and Preclinical Evaluation
- 2010
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Radionuclide molecular imaging is an emerging multidisciplinary technique that is used in modern medicine to visualise diseases at cellular and molecular levels. This thesis is based on five papers (I-V) and focuses on the development of site-specific radiolabelled recombinant anti-HER2 Affibody molecules and preclinical evaluations in vitro and in vivo of the labelled conjugates. This work is part of a preclinical development of an Affibody molecule-based tracer for molecular imaging of HER2 expressing tumours. Papers I and II report the evaluation of the Affibody molecule ZHER2:2395-C, site-specifically labelled with the radiometals 111In (for SPECT) and 57Co (as a surrogate for 55Co, suitable for PET applications) using a thiol reactive DOTA derivative as a chelator. Both conjugates demonstrated very suitable biodistribution properties, enabling high contrast imaging just a few hours after injection. Papers III and IV report the development and optimization of a technique for site-specific labelling of ZHER2:2395-C with 99mTc using an N3S chelating peptide sequence. 99mTc-ZHER2:2395-C demonstrated high and specific tumour uptake and rapid clearance of non-bound tracer from the blood, resulting in high tumour-to-non-tumour ratios shortly after injection, enabling high contrast imaging. In addition, in the study described in paper IV, freeze-dried kits previously developed for 99mTc-labelling were optimised, resulting in the development of a kit in which all the reagents and protein needed for labelling of ZHER2:2395-C with 99mTc were contained in a single vial. Paper V reports the evaluation of an anti-HER2 Affibody molecule, ABY-025, with a fundamentally re-engineered scaffold. Despite the profound re-engineering, the biodistribution pattern of 111In-ABY-025 was very similar to that of two variants of the parental molecule. It seems reasonable to believe that these results will also be applicable to Affibody molecules towards other targets. Hopefully, this work will also be helpful in the development of other small proteinaceous tracers.
|
|
| 3. |
- Ahlgren, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Radionuclide molecular imaging using affibody molecules
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1389-2010 .- 1873-4316. ; 11:6, s. 581-589
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The current way to increase efficacy of cancer therapy is the use of molecular recognition of aberrantly expressed gene products for selective treatment. However, only a fraction of the patients have tumors with a particular molecular target. Radionuclide imaging of molecular targets might help to stratify patient for cancer treatment. Affibody molecules are scaffold proteins, which can be selected for high affinity recognition of proteinaceous molecular targets. The capacity to re-fold under physiological conditions allows labeling of Affibody molecules in a broad range of pH and temperatures with preserved binding properties. Peptide synthesis or introduction of a unique cysteine enables site-specific labeling of Affibody molecules, resulting in uniform conjugates with well-defined pharmacological characteristics. The small size (7 kDa) of Affibody molecules provides rapid extravasation, rapid tumor penetration, and rapid clearance of unbound tracer from healthy organs and tissues. In combination with sub-nanomolar affinity, this results in high contrast in vivo imaging a few hours after injection. Excellent targeting has been demonstrated in pre-clinical studies with HER2-targeting Affibody molecules labeled with (99m)Tc and (111)In for single photon computed tomography (SPECT), and (18)F, (64)Cu, (124)I and (68)Ga for positron emission tomography (PET). Pilot clinical data confirm the high potential of Affibody molecules.
|
|
| 4. |
- Ahlgren, Sara, et al.
(författare)
-
Targeting of HER2-Expressing Tumors Using 111In-ABY-025, a Second-Generation Affibody Molecule with a Fundamentally Reengineered Scaffold
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Journal of Nuclear Medicine. - : Society of Nuclear Medicine. - 0161-5505 .- 1535-5667 .- 2159-662X. ; 51:7, s. 1131-1138
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Overexpression of HER2 in breast carcinomas predicts response to trastuzumab therapy. Affibody molecules based on a non-immunoglobulin scaffold have demon-strated high potential for in vivo molecular imaging of HER2-expressing tumors. Re-engineering of the molecular scaffold has led to a second generation of optimized Affibody molecules, having a surface distinctly different from the parental protein domain from staphylococcal protein A. The new tracer showed further increased melting point, stability and overall hydrophilicity compared to the parental molecule, and was shown to be more amenable for chemical peptide synthesis. The goal of this study was to assess potential effects of this extensive re-engineering on HER2 targeting, using ABY-025, a DOTA conjugated variant of the novel tracer. Methods: 111In-ABY-025 was compared with previously evaluated parent HER2-binding Affibody tracers in vitro and in vivo. The in vivo behavior was further evaluated in mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts, in rats and in cynomolgus macaques. Results: 111In-ABY-025 bound specifically to HER2 in vitro and in vivo. Direct comparison with the previous generation of HER2-binding tracers showed that ABY-025 retained excellent targeting properties. Rapid blood clearance was shown in mice, rats and macaques. A highly specific tumor uptake of 16.7 ± 2.5 %IA/g was seen at 4 h after injection. The tumor-to-blood ratio was 6.3 at 0.5 h, 88 at 4 h, and increased up to 3 days after injection. Gamma camera imaging of tumors was already possible 0.5 h after injection. Furthermore, repeated i.v. administration of ABY-025 did not induce antibody formation in rats. Conclusions: The biodistribution of 111In-ABY-025 was in remarkably good agreement with the parent tracers, despite profound re-engineering of the non-binding surface. The molecule displayed rapid blood clearance in all species investigated and excellent targeting capacity in tumor bearing mice, leading to high tumor-to-organ-ratios and high contrast imaging shortly after injection.
|
|
| 5. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
-
188Re-ZHER2:V2, a promising affibody-based targeting agent against HER2-expressing tumors : preclinical assessment
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine. - : Society of Nuclear Medicine. - 0161-5505 .- 1535-5667 .- 2159-662X. ; 55:11, s. 8-1842
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- UNLABELLED: Affibody molecules are small (7 kDa) nonimmunoglobulin scaffold proteins with favorable tumor-targeting properties. Studies concerning the influence of chelators on biodistribution of (99m)Tc-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 (188)Re-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 (188)Re 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 (188)Re-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 (188)Re-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: (188)Re-ZHER2:V2 can deliver high absorbed doses to tumors without exceeding kidney and bone marrow toxicity limits.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
-
Influence of Nuclides and Chelators on Imaging Using Affibody Molecules : Comparative Evaluation of Recombinant Affibody Molecules Site-Specifically Labeled with Ga-68 and In-111 via Maleimido Derivatives of DOTA and NODAGA
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Bioconjugate chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1043-1802 .- 1520-4812. ; 24:6, s. 1102-1109
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Accurate detection of cancer-associated molecular abnormalities in tumors could make cancer treatment more of personalized. Affibody molecules enable high contrast imaging of tumor-associated protein expression shortly after injection. The use should increase sensitivity of HER2 imaging. The chemical nature of the generator-produced positron-emitting radionuclide Ga-68 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 Z(HER2:2395) HER2-binding Affibody molecule with Ga-68. DOTA and NODAGA were site-specifically conjugated to the Z(HER2:2395) Affibody molecule having a C-terminal cysteine and labeled with Ga-68 and In-111. 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 dearly visualized using all conjugates. The influence of chelator on the biodistribution and targeting properties was much less pronounced for Ga-68 than for In-111. The tumor uptake of Ga-68-NODAGA-Z(HER2:2395) and Ga-68-NODAGA-Z(HER2:2395) and tumor-to-blood ratios at 2 h p.i. did not differ significantly. However, the tumor-to-liver ratio was significantly higher for Ga-68-NODAGA- Z(HER2:2395) (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.
|
|
| 8. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
-
Order of amino acids in C-terminal cysteine-containing peptide-based chelators influences cellular processing and biodistribution of Tc-99m-labeled recombinant Affibody molecules
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Amino Acids. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0939-4451 .- 1438-2199. ; 42:5, s. 1975-1985
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Affibody molecules constitute a novel class of molecular display selected affinity proteins based on non-immunoglobulin scaffold. Preclinical investigations and pilot clinical data have demonstrated that Affibody molecules provide high contrast imaging of tumor-associated molecular targets shortly after injection. The use of cysteine-containing peptide-based chelators at the C-terminus of recombinant Affibody molecules enabled site-specific labeling with the radionuclide Tc-99m. Earlier studies have demonstrated that position, composition and the order of amino acids in peptide-based chelators influence labeling stability, cellular processing and biodistribution of Affibody molecules. To investigate the influence of the amino acid order, a series of anti-HER2 Affibody molecules, containing GSGC, GEGC and GKGC chelators have been prepared and characterized. The affinity to HER2, cellular processing of Tc-99m-labeled Affibody molecules and their biodistribution were investigated. These properties were compared with that of the previously studied Tc-99m-labeled Affibody molecules containing GGSC, GGEC and GGKC chelators. All variants displayed picomolar affinities to HER2. The substitution of a single amino acid in the chelator had an appreciable influence on the cellular processing of Tc-99m. The biodistribution of all Tc-99m-labeled Affibody molecules was in general comparable, with the main difference in uptake and retention of radioactivity in excretory organs. The hepatic accumulation of radioactivity was higher for the lysine-containing chelators and the renal retention of Tc-99m was significantly affected by the amino acid composition of chelators. The order of amino acids influenced renal uptake of some conjugates at 1 h after injection, but the difference decreased at later time points. Such information can be helpful for the development of other scaffold protein-based imaging and therapeutic radiolabeled conjugates.
|
|
| 9. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
-
Preclinical evaluation of anti-HER2 Affibody molecules site-specifically labeled with In-111 using a maleimido derivative of NODAGA
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Nuclear Medicine and Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-8051 .- 1872-9614. ; 39:4, s. 518-529
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Affibody molecules have demonstrated potential for radionuclide molecular imaging. The aim of this study was to synthesize and evaluate a maleimido derivative of the 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-l-glutaric acid-4,7-diacetic acid (NODAGA) for site-specific labeling of anti-HER2 Affibody molecule. Methods: The maleimidoethylmonoamide NODAGA (MMA-NODAGA) was synthesized and conjugated to Z(HER2:2395) Affibody molecule having a C-terminal cysteine. Labeling efficiency, binding specificity to and cell internalization by HER2-expressing cells of [In-111-MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) were studied. Biodistribution of [In-111-MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) and [In-111-MMA-DOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) was compared in mice. Results: The affinity of [MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) binding to HER2 was 67 pM. The In-1111-labeling yield was 99.6%+/- 0.5% after 30 min at 60 degrees C. [In-111-MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) bound specifically to HER2-expressing cells in vitro and in vivo. Tumor uptake of [In-111-MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-ZHER(2:2395) in mice bearing DU-145 xenografts (4.7%+/- 0.8% ID/g) was lower than uptake of [In-111-MMA-DOTA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) (7.5%+/- 1.6% ID/g). However, tumor-to-organ ratios were higher for [In-111-MMA-NODAGA-Cys(61)]-Z(HER2:2395) due to higher clearance rate from normal tissues. Conclusions: MMA-NODAGA is a promising chelator for site-specific labeling of targeting proteins containing unpaired cysteine. Appreciable influence of chelators on targeting properties of Affibody molecules was demonstrated.
|
|
| 10. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(författare)
-
Radiolabeled Probes Targeting Tyrosine-Kinase Receptors For Personalized Medicine
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Current pharmaceutical design. - : Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.. - 1381-6128 .- 1873-4286. ; 20:14, s. 2275-2292
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) are transmembrane receptors regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, motility and recruitment of the vasculature. Aberrant expression and/or function of RTK have been detected in many malignant tumors and are considered to be a part of the transformed phenotype. The action of several classes of anti-cancer drugs is based on specific recognition of RTK. Monoclonal antibodies target extracellular binding domains, while tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) bind to intracellular kinase domains to suppress RTK signaling. The issues regarding the efficient use of RTK targeting are the inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity of RTK expression and the changes of expression levels during the course of disease and in response to therapy. Radionuclide molecular imaging of RTK expression may aid in selecting patients who would benefit from RTK-targeting therapy and in identifying non-responders. Therefore, the therapy would be more personalized. Currently, radiolabeled proteins (monoclonal antibodies and their fragments, natural peptides ligands to RTK and de novo selected affinity proteins) and TKI and their analogues are under development for the visualization of RTK. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches.
|
|
