| 1. |
- Leandersson Bogefors, Karolina, et al.
(author)
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Androgen receptor gene CAG and GGN repeat lengths as predictors of recovery of spermatogenesis following testicular germ cell cancer treatment
- 2017
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In: Asian Journal of Andrology. - 1008-682X .- 1745-7262. ; 19:5, s. 538-542
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spermatogenesis is an androgen-regulated process that depends on the action of androgen receptor (AR). Sperm production may be affected in men treated for testicular cancer (TC), and it is important to identify the factors influencing the timing of spermatogenesis recovery following cancer treatment. It is known that the CAG and GGN repeat numbers affect the activity of the AR; therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate if the CAG and GGN polymorphisms in the AR gene predict recovery of sperm production after TC treatment. TC patients (n = 130) delivered ejaculates at the following time points: postorchiectomy and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 60 months posttherapy (T0, T6, T12, T24, T36, and T60). The CAG lengths were categorized into three groups, <22 CAG, 22-23 CAG, and >23 CAG, and the GGN tracts were also categorized into three groups, <23 GGN, 23 GGN, and >23 GGN. At T12, men with 22-23 CAG presented with a statistically significantly (P = 0.045) lower sperm concentration than those with other CAG numbers (8.4 × 10 6 ml-1 vs 16 × 10 6 ml-1 ; 95% CI: 1.01-2.65). This association was robust to omitting adjustment for treatment type and sperm concentration at T0 (P = 0.021; 3.7 × 10 6 ml-1 vs 10 × 10 6 ml-1 ; 95% CI: 1.13-4.90). The same trends were observed for total sperm number. The least active AR variant seems to be associated with a more rapid recovery of spermatogenesis. This finding adds to our understanding of the biology of postcancer therapy recovery of fertility in males and has clinical implications.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Altai, Mohamed, et al.
(author)
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Influence of Molecular Design on the Targeting Properties of ABD-Fused Mono- and Bi-Valent Anti-HER3 Affibody Therapeutic Constructs
- 2018
-
In: Cells. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4409. ; 7:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) is associated with tumour cell resistance to HER-targeted therapies. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting HER3 are currently being investigated for treatment of various types of cancers. Cumulative evidence suggests that affibody molecules may be appropriate alternatives to mAbs. We previously reported a fusion construct (3A3) containing two HER3-targeting affibody molecules flanking an engineered albumin-binding domain (ABD 035) included for the extension of half-life in circulation. The 3A3 fusion protein (19.7 kDa) was shown to delay tumour growth in mice bearing HER3-expressing xenografts and was equipotent to the mAb seribantumab. Here, we have designed and explored a series of novel formats of anti-HER3 affibody molecules fused to the ABD in different orientations. All constructs inhibited heregulin-induced phosphorylation in HER3-expressing BxPC-3 and DU-145 cell lines. Biodistribution studies demonstrated extended the half-life of all ABD-fused constructs, although at different levels. The capacity of our ABD-fused proteins to accumulate in HER3-expressing tumours was demonstrated in nude mice bearing BxPC-3 xenografts. Formats where the ABD was located on the C-terminus of affibody binding domains (3A, 33A, and 3A3) provided the best tumour targeting properties in vivo. Further development of these promising candidates for treatment of HER3-overexpressing tumours is therefore justified.
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| 5. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(author)
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Autotransporter-Mediated Display of a Naive Affibody Library on the Outer Membrane of Escherichia coli
- 2019
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In: Biotechnology Journal. - : WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH. - 1860-6768 .- 1860-7314. ; 14:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Development of new affinity proteins using combinatorial protein engineering is today established for generation of monoclonal antibodies and also essential for discovery of binders that are based on non-immunoglobulin proteins. Phage display is most frequently used, but yeast display is becoming increasingly popular, partly due to the option of utilizing fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for isolation of new candidates. Escherichia coli has several valuable properties for library applications and in particular the high transformation efficiency. The use of various autotransporters and intimins for secretion and anchoring on the outer membrane have shown promising results and particularly for directed evolution of different enzymes. Here, the authors report on display of a large naive affibody library on the outer membrane of E. coli using the autotransporter Adhesin Involved in Diffuse Adherence (AIDA-I). The expression cassette is first engineered by removing non-essential sequences, followed by introduction of an affibody library, comprising more than 10(9) variants, into the new display vector. The quality of the library and general performance of the method is assessed by FACS against five different targets, which resulted in a panel of binders with down to nanomolar affinities, suggesting that the method has potential as a complement to phage display for generation of affibody molecules.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Ken G., 1987-
(author)
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Combinatorial Protein Engineering Of Affibody Molecules Using E. Coli Display And Rational Design Of Affibody-Based Tracers For Medical Imaging
- 2017
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Directed evolution is today an established strategy for generation of new affinity proteins. This thesis describes the development of a cell-display method using Escherichia coli for directed evolution of Affibody molecules. Further, the thesis describes rational design of Affibody-based tracers, intended for future patient stratification using medical imaging. Fusing recombinant proteins to various autotransporters is a promising approach for efficient surface display on the surface of E. coli, as well as for construction of high-complexity libraries. In paper I, we successfully engineered an expression vector for display of Affibody molecules using the autotransporter AIDA-I. In paper II, a large Affibody library of 2.3x109 variants was constructed and screening using FACS resulted in new specific binders in the nanomolar range. In paper III, we demonstrated Sortase-mediated secretion and conjugation of binders directly from the E. coli surface. The three following studies describe rational design of Affibody-based tracers against two cancer-associated targets for molecular imaging. First, anti-HER3 Affibody molecules were labelled with 111In, and SPECT imaging showed that the conjugates specifically targeted HER3-expressing xenografts. Furthermore, labeling with 68Ga for PET imaging showed that tumor uptake correlated with HER3 expression, suggesting that the tracers have potential for patient stratification. The last study describes the development and investigation of anti-EGFR Affibody-based imaging agents. Labeled with 89Zr, the Affibody tracer demonstrated higher tumor uptake at 3 h post injection than the anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab at 48 h post injection. In conclusion, this thesis describes new tools and knowledge that will hopefully contribute to the development of affinity proteins for biotechnology, therapy and medical imaging in the future.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Ken G, et al.
(author)
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Comparative evaluation of 111In-labeled NOTA‑conjugated affibody molecules for visualization of HER3 expression in malignant tumors
- 2015
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In: Oncology Reports. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1021-335X .- 1791-2431. ; 34:2, s. 1042-8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) in malignant tumors has been associated with resistance to a variety of anticancer therapies. Several anti-HER3 monoclonal antibodies are currently under pre-clinical and clinical development aiming to overcome HER3-mediated resistance. Radionuclide molecular imaging of HER3 expression may improve treatment by allowing the selection of suitable patients for HER3-targeted therapy. Affibody molecules are a class of small (7kDa) high-affinity targeting proteins with appreciable potential as molecular imaging probes. In a recent study, we selected affibody molecules with affinity to HER3 at a low picomolar range. The aim of the present study was to develop an anti-HER3 affibody molecule suitable for labeling with radiometals. The HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and HEHEHE-Z08699-NOTA HER3-specific affibody molecules were labeled with indium‑111 (111In) and assessed invitro and invivo for imaging properties using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Labeling of HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and HEHEHE-Z08699-NOTA with 111In provided stable conjugates. Invitro cell tests demonstrated specific binding of the two conjugates to HER3-expressing BT‑474 breast carcinoma cells. In mice bearing BT‑474 xenografts, the tumor uptake of the two conjugates was receptor‑specific. Direct invivo comparison of 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA and 111In-HEHEHE-Z08699‑NOTA demonstrated that the two conjugates provided equal radioactivity uptake in tumors, although the tumor-to-blood ratio was improved for 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA [12±3 vs. 8±1, 4h post injection (p.i.)] due to more efficient blood clearance. 111In-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA is a promising candidate for imaging of HER3-expression in malignant tumors using SPECT. Results of the present study indicate that this conjugate could be used for patient stratification for anti-HER3 therapy.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Ken G., et al.
(author)
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Feasibility of imaging of epidermal growth factor receptor expression with ZEGFR:2377 affibody molecule labeled with Tc-99m using a peptide-based cysteine-containing chelator
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Oncology. - : SPANDIDOS. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 49:6, s. 2285-2293
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a number of malignant tumors and is a molecular target for several specific anticancer antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The overexpression of EGFR is a predictive biomarker for response to several therapy regimens. Radionuclide molecular imaging might enable detection of EGFR overexpression by a non-invasive procedure and could be used repeatedly. Affibody molecules are engineered scaffold proteins, which could be selected to have a high affinity and selectivity to predetermined targets. The anti-EGFR ZEGFR:2377 affibody molecule is a potential imaging probe for EGFR detection. The use of the generator-produced radionuclide Tc-99m should facilitate clinical translation of an imaging probe due to its low price, availability and favorable dosimetry of the radionuclide. In the present study, we evaluated feasibility of ZEGFR:2377 labeling with Tc-99m using a peptide-based cysteine-containing chelator expressed at the C-terminus of ZEGFR:2377. The label was stable in vitro under cysteine challenge. In addition, Tc-99m-ZEGFR:2377 was capable of specific binding to EGFR-expressing cells with high affinity (274 pM). Studies in BALB/C nu/nu mice bearing A431 xenografts demonstrated that Tc-99m-ZEGFR:2377 accumulates in tumors in an EGFR-specific manner. The tumor uptake values were 3.6 1 and 2.5 0.4% ID/g at 3 and 24 h after injection, respectively. The corresponding tumor-to-blood ratios were 1.8 0.4 and 8 3. The xenografts were clearly visualized at both time-points. This study demonstrated the potential of Tc-99m-labeled ZEGFR:2377 for imaging of EGFR in vivo.
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| 9. |
- Bass, Tarek
(author)
-
Affibody molecules targeting HER3 for cancer therapy
- 2017
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The development of targeted therapy has contributed tremendously to the treatment of patients with cancer. The use of highly specific affinity proteins to target cancer cells has become a standard in treatment strategies for several different cancers. In light of this, many cancer cell markers are investigated for their potential use in diagnostics and therapy. One such marker is the human epidermal growth factor receptor 3, HER3. It has been established as an important contributor to many cancer types. The function of HER3 is to relay cell growth signals from outside of the cell to the inside. Interfering with- and inhibit- ing the function of HER3 has emerged as an interesting strategy for cancer therapeutics. The studies presented in this thesis aim to target HER3 with small, engineered affinity domain proteins for therapeutic purposes. Monomeric affibody molecules have previously been engineered to bind and inhibit HER3 in vitro. Due to the relatively low expression of HER3, an increase in valency appears promising to strengthen the therapeutic potential. Affibody molecules targeting the receptor were thus linked to form bivalent and bispecific constructs and evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. In the first study of this thesis affibody molecules specific for HER3 and HER2 were fused to an albumin binding domain to form bivalent and bispecific construct. The constructs inhibited ligand-induced receptor phos- phorylation of both HER2 and HER3 more efficiently than monomeric affibody molecules. A second approach to enhance the potential of affibody molecules in tumor targeting is described in the second study, where monomeric HER3-binding affibody molecules were engineered to increase their affinity for HER3. The resulting variants showed a 20-fold in- creased affinity and higher capacity to inhibit cancer cell growth. Combining the findings of the first two studies, the third study describes the evaluation of a HER3-targeting bivalent affibody construct for potential application as a therapeutic. Here, the bivalent construct inhibited cancer cell growth in vitro and was found to slow down tumor growth in mice, while being well tolerated and showing no visible toxicity. The fourth study built upon these findings and compares a very similar bivalent construct to the clinically-investigated HER3-specific monoclonal antibody seribantumab. The affibody construct showed very comparable efficacy with the antibody in terms of decreasing tumor growth rate and ex- tending mouse survival. Collectively, these works describe for the first time the use of alternative affinity protein constructs with therapeutic potential targeting HER3.
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| 10. |
- Bass, Tarek, et al.
(author)
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In vivo evaluation of a novel format of a bivalent HER3-targeting and albumin- binding therapeutic affibody construct
- 2017
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is involved in resistance to several therapies for malignant tumours. Currently, several anti-HER3 monoclonal antibodies are under clinical development. We introduce an alternative approach to HER3-targeted therapy based on engineered scaffold proteins, i.e. affibody molecules. We designed a small construct (22.5 kDa, denoted 3A3), consisting of two high-affinity anti-HER3 affibody molecules flanking an albumin-binding domain ABD, which was introduced for prolonged residence in circulation. In vitro, 3A3 efficiently inhibited growth of HER3-expressing BxPC-3 cells. Biodistribution in mice was measured using 3A3 that was site-specifically labelled with In-111 via a DOTA chelator. The residence time of In-111-DOTA-3A3 in blood was extended when compared with the monomeric affibody molecule. In-111-DOTA-3A3 accumulated specifically in HER3-expressing BxPC-3 xenografts in mice. However, In-111-DOTA-3A3 cleared more rapidly from blood than a size-matched control construct In-111-DOTA-TAT, most likely due to sequestering of 3A3 by mErbB3, the murine counterpart of HER3. Repeated dosing and increase of injected protein dose decreased uptake of In-111-DOTA-3A3 in mErbB3-expressing tissues. Encouragingly, growth of BxPC-3 xenografts in mice was delayed in an experimental (pilot-scale) therapy study using 3A3. We conclude that the 3A3 affibody format seems promising for treatment of HER3-overexpressing tumours.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Boutajangout, Allal, et al.
(author)
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Affibody-Mediated Sequestration of Amyloid beta Demonstrates Preventive Efficacy in a Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model
- 2019
-
In: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1663-4365. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Different strategies for treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are currently under investigation, including passive immunization with anti-amyloid beta (anti-A beta) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Here, we investigate the therapeutic potential of a novel type of A beta-targeting agent based on an affibody molecule with fundamentally different properties to mAbs. We generated a therapeutic candidate, denoted Z(SYM73)-albumin-binding domain (ABD; 16.8 kDa), by genetic linkage of the dimeric Z(SYM73) affibody for sequestering of monomeric A beta-peptides and an ABD for extension of its in vivo half-life. Amyloid precursor protein (APP)/PS1 transgenic AD mice were administered with Z(SYM73)-ABD, followed by behavioral examination and immunohistochemistry. Results demonstrated rescued cognitive functions and significantly lower amyloid burden in the treated animals compared to controls. No toxicological symptoms or immunology-related side-effects were observed. To our knowledge, this is the first reported in vivo investigation of a systemically delivered scaffold protein against monomeric A beta, demonstrating a therapeutic potential for prevention of AD.
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| 13. |
- Cheng, Qing, et al.
(author)
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Preclinical PET imaging of EGFR levels : pairing a targeting with a non-targeting Sel-tagged Affibody-based tracer to estimate the specific uptake
- 2016
-
In: EJNMMI Research. - : Springer. - 2191-219X. ; 6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Though overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in several forms of cancer is considered to be an important prognostic biomarker related to poor prognosis, clear correlations between biomarker assays and patient management have been difficult to establish. Here, we utilize a targeting directly followed by a non-targeting tracer-based positron emission tomography (PET) method to examine some of the aspects of determining specific EGFR binding in tumors. Methods: The EGFR-binding Affibody molecule Z(EGFR:2377) and its size-matched non-binding control Z(Taq:3638) were recombinantly fused with a C-terminal selenocysteine-containing Sel-tag (Z(EGFR:2377)-ST and Z(Taq:3638)-ST). The proteins were site-specifically labeled with DyLight488 for flow cytometry and ex vivo tissue analyses or with C-11 for in vivo PET studies. Kinetic scans with the C-11-labeled proteins were performed in healthy mice and in mice bearing xenografts from human FaDu (squamous cell carcinoma) and A431 (epidermoid carcinoma) cell lines. Changes in tracer uptake in A431 xenografts over time were also monitored, followed by ex vivo proximity ligation assays (PLA) of EGFR expressions. Results: Flow cytometry and ex vivo tissue analyses confirmed EGFR targeting by ZE(GFR:2377)-ST-DyLight488. [Methyl-C-11]-labeled Z(EGFR:2377)-ST-CH3 and Z(Taq:3638)-ST-CH3 showed similar distributions in vivo, except for notably higher concentrations of the former in particularly the liver and the blood. [Methyl-C-11]-Z(EGFR:2377)-ST-CH3 successfully visualized FaDu and A431 xenografts with moderate and high EGFR expression levels, respectively. However, in FaDu tumors, the non-specific uptake was large and sometimes equally large, illustrating the importance of proper controls. In the A431 group observed longitudinally, non-specific uptake remained at same level over the observation period. Specific uptake increased with tumor size, but changes varied widely over time in individual tumors. Total (membranous and cytoplasmic) EGFR in excised sections increased with tumor growth. There was no positive correlation between total EGFR and specific tracer uptake, which, since Z(EGFR:2377) binds extracellularly and is slowly internalized, indicates a discordance between available membranous and total EGFR expression levels. Conclusions: Same-day in vivo dual tracer imaging enabled by the Sel-tag technology and C-11-labeling provides a method to non-invasively monitor membrane-localized EGFR as well as factors affecting non-specific uptake of the PET ligand.
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| 14. |
- Dahlsson Leitao, Charles, et al.
(author)
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Molecular Design of HER3-Targeting Affibody Molecules : Influence of Chelator and Presence of HEHEHE-Tag on Biodistribution of 68Ga-Labeled Tracers
- 2019
-
In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 20:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Affibody-based imaging of HER3 is a promising approach for patient stratification. We investigated the influence of a hydrophilic HEHEHE-tag ((HE)3-tag) and two different gallium-68/chelator-complexes on the biodistribution of Z08698 with the aim to improve the tracer for PET imaging. Affibody molecules (HE)3-Z08698-X and Z08698-X (X = NOTA, NODAGA) were produced and labeled with gallium-68. Binding specificity and cellular processing were studied in HER3-expressing human cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and DU145. Biodistribution was studied 3 h p.i. in Balb/c nu/nu mice bearing BxPC-3 xenografts. Mice were imaged 3 h p.i. using microPET/CT. Conjugates were stably labeled with gallium-68 and bound specifically to HER3 in vitro and in vivo. Association to cells was rapid but internalization was slow. Uptake in tissues, including tumors, was lower for (HE)3-Z08698-X than for non-tagged variants. The neutral [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA complex reduced the hepatic uptake of Z08698 compared to positively charged [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-conjugated variants. The influence of the chelator was more pronounced in variants without (HE)3-tag. In conclusion, hydrophilic (HE)3-tag and neutral charge of the [68Ga]Ga-NODAGA complex promoted blood clearance and lowered hepatic uptake of Z08698. [68Ga]Ga-(HE)3-Z08698-NODAGA was considered most promising, providing the lowest blood and hepatic uptake and the best imaging contrast among the tested variants.
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| 15. |
- Ekman, Simon, et al.
(author)
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A novel oral insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor pathway modulator and its implications for patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma : A phase I clinical trial
- 2016
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In: Acta Oncologica. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 55:2, s. 140-148
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A phase Ia/b dose-escalation study was performed to characterize the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties of the oral small molecule insulin-like growth factor-1-receptor pathway modulator AXL1717 in patients with advanced solid tumors.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective, single-armed, open label, dose-finding phase Ia/b study with the aim of single day dosing (phase Ia) to define the starting dose for multi-day dosing (phase Ib), and phase Ib to define and confirm recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and if possible maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for repeated dosing.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Phase Ia enrolled 16 patients and dose escalations up to 2900 mg BID were successfully performed without any dose limiting toxicity (DLT). A total of 39 patients were treated in phase Ib. AXL1717 was well tolerated with neutropenia as the only dose-related, reversible, DLT. RP2D dose was found to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Some patients, mainly with NSCLC, demonstrated signs of clinical benefit, including four partial tumor responses (one according to RECIST and three according to PET). The 15 patients with NSCLC with treatment duration longer than two weeks with single agent AXL1717 in third or fourth line of therapy showed a median progression-free survival of 31 weeks and overall survival of 60 weeks. Down-regulation of IGF-1R on granulocytes and increases of free serum levels of IGF-1 were seen in patients treated with AXL1717. AXL1717 had an acceptable safety profile and demonstrated promising efficacy in this heavily pretreated patient cohort, especially in patients with NSCLC. RP2D was concluded to be 390 mg BID for four weeks. Trial number is NCT01062620.
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| 16. |
- Fleetwood, Filippa, et al.
(author)
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Novel affinity binders for neutralization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling
- 2016
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In: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (CMLS). - : Birkhauser Verlag. - 1420-682X .- 1420-9071. ; 73:8, s. 1671-1683
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angiogenesis denotes the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature. Progression of diseases such as cancer and several ophthalmological disorders may be promoted by excess angiogenesis. Novel therapeutics to inhibit angiogenesis and diagnostic tools for monitoring angiogenesis during therapy, hold great potential for improving treatment of such diseases. We have previously generated so-called biparatopic Affibody constructs with high affinity for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2), which recognize two non-overlapping epitopes in the ligand-binding site on the receptor. Affibody molecules have previously been demonstrated suitable for imaging purposes. Their small size also makes them attractive for applications where an alternative route of administration is beneficial, such as topical delivery using eye drops. In this study, we show that decreasing linker length between the two Affibody domains resulted in even slower dissociation from the receptor. The new variants of the biparatopic Affibody bound to VEGFR2-expressing cells, blocked VEGFA binding, and inhibited VEGFA-induced signaling of VEGFR2 over expressing cells. Moreover, the biparatopic Affibody inhibited sprout formation of endothelial cells in an in vitro angiogenesis assay with similar potency as the bivalent monoclonal antibody ramucirumab. This study demonstrates that the biparatopic Affibody constructs show promise for future therapeutic as well as in vivo imaging applications.
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| 17. |
- Frodeson, Stefan, Universitetsadjunkt, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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The Potential for a Pellet Plant to Become a Biorefinery
- 2019
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In: Processes. - Basel : MDPI. - 2227-9717. ; 7:4, s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The use of bioenergy has increased globally in recent years, as has the utilization of biomaterials for various new product solutions through various biorefinery concepts. In this study, we introduce the concept of using a mechanical dewatering press in combination with thermal drying in a pellet plant. The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of the effects a mechanical dewatering press has in a pellet production chain and investigate whether a pellet plant could thus become a biorefinery. The evaluations in this study are based on industrial data and initial tests at the university. The results show that the concept of using the mechanical dewatering press together with a packed moving bed dryer reduces energy use by 50%, compared to using only a packed moving bed dryer. The press water could be used as a raw material for biogas, bioplastics, and biohydrogen. Hence, this study points out the possibilities of a pellet plant increasing the efficiency of the drying step, while moving towards becoming a biorefinery.
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| 18. |
- Garousi, Javad, et al.
(author)
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PET imaging of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in tumours using Zr-89-labelled ZEGFR:2377 affibody molecules
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Oncology. - : Spandidos. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 48:4, s. 1325-1332
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor, which is overexpressed in many types of cancer. The use of EGFR-targeting monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine-kinase inhibitors improves significantly survival of patients with colorectal, non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Detection of EGFR overexpression provides important prognostic and predictive information influencing management of the patients. The use of radionuclide molecular imaging would enable non-invasive repeatable determination of EGFR expression in disseminated cancer. Moreover, positron emission tomography (PET) would provide superior sensitivity and quantitation accuracy in EGFR expression imaging. Affibody molecules are a new type of imaging probes, providing high contrast in molecular imaging. In the present study, an EGFR-binding affibody molecule (ZEGFR:2377) was site-specifically conjugated with a deferoxamine (DFO) chelator and labelled under mild conditions (room temperature and neutral pH) with a radionuclide Zr-89. The Zr-89-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 tracer demonstrated specific high affinity (160 +/- 60 pM) binding to EGFR-expressing A431 epidermoid carcinoma cell line. In mice bearing A431 xenografts, Zr-89-DFO-ZEGFR: 2377 demonstrated specific uptake in tumours and EGFR-expressing tissues. The tracer provided tumour uptake of 2.6 +/- 0.5% ID/g and tumour-to-blood ratio of 3.7 +/- 0.6 at 24 h after injection. Zr-89-DFO-ZEGFR: 2377 provides higher tumour-to-organ ratios than anti-EGFR antibody Zr-89-DFO-cetuximab at 48 h after injection. EGFR-expressing tumours were clearly visualized by microPET using Zr-89-DFO-ZEGFR: 2377 at both 3 and 24 h after injection. In conclusion, Zr-89-DFO-ZEGFR: 2377 is a potential probe for PET imaging of EGFR-expression in vivo.
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| 19. |
- Garousi, Javad, et al.
(author)
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The use of radiocobalt as a label improves imaging of EGFR using DOTA-conjugated Affibody molecule
- 2017
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Several anti-cancer therapies target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Radionuclide imaging of EGFR expression in tumours may aid in selection of optimal cancer therapy. The In-111-labelled DOTA-conjugated Z(EGFR:2377) Affibody molecule was successfully used for imaging of EGFR-expressing xenografts in mice. An optimal combination of radionuclide, chelator and targeting protein may further improve the contrast of radionuclide imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the targeting properties of radiocobalt-labelled DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377). DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) was labelled with Co-57 (T-1/2 = 271.8 d), Co-55 (T-1/2 = 17.5 h), and, for comparison, with the positron-emitting radionuclide Ga-68 (T-1/2 = 67.6 min) with preserved specificity of binding to EGFR-expressing A431 cells. The long-lived cobalt radioisotope Co-57 was used in animal studies. Both Co-57-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) and Ga-68-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) demonstrated EGFR-specific accumulation in A431 xenografts and EGFR-expressing tissues in mice. Tumour-to-organ ratios for the radiocobalt-labelled DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) were significantly higher than for the gallium-labelled counterpart already at 3 h after injection. Importantly, Co-57-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) demonstrated a tumour-to-liver ratio of 3, which is 7-fold higher than the tumour-to-liver ratio for (68)GaDOTA-Z(EGFR:2377). The results of this study suggest that the positron-emitting cobalt isotope 55Co would be an optimal label for DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) and further development should concentrate on this radionuclide as a label.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Lappegård, Knut Tore, et al.
(author)
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Lipoprotein apheresis affects lipoprotein particle subclasses more efficiently compared to the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab, a pilot study.
- 2018
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In: Transfusion and apheresis science. - : Elsevier BV. - 1473-0502 .- 1878-1683. ; 57:1, s. 91-96
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lipoprotein apheresis and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are last therapeutic resorts in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We explored changes in lipoprotein subclasses and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function when changing treatment from lipoprotein apheresis to PCSK9 inhibition. We measured the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL particle subclasses, serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity and cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) in three heterozygous FH patients. Concentrations of all LDL particle subclasses were reduced during apheresis (large 68.0 ± 17.5 to 16.3 ± 2.1 mg/dL, (p = 0.03), intermediate 38.3 ± 0.6 to 5.0 ± 3.5 mg/dL (p = 0.004) and small 5.0 ± 2.6 to 0.2 ± 0.1 mg/dL (p = 0.08)). There were non-significant reductions in the LDL subclasses during evolocumab treatment. There were non-significant reductions in subclasses of HDL particles during apheresis, and no changes during evolocumab treatment. CEC was unchanged throughout the study, while the SAA1/PON1 ratio was unchanged during apheresis but decreased during evolocumab treatment. In conclusion, there were significant reductions in large and intermediate size LDL particles during apheresis, and a non-significant reduction in small LDL particles. There were only non-significant reductions in the LDL subclasses during evolocumab treatment.
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| 22. |
- Lindberg, Hanna, et al.
(author)
-
A truncated and dimeric format of an Affibody library on bacteria enables FACS-mediated isolation of amyloid-beta aggregation inhibitors with subnanomolar affinity
- 2015
-
In: Biotechnology Journal. - : Wiley. - 1860-6768 .- 1860-7314. ; 10:11, s. 1707-1718
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The amyloid hypothesis suggests that accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides in the brain is involved in development of Alzheimer's disease. We previously generated a small dimeric affinity protein that inhibited Aβ aggregation by sequestering the aggregation prone parts of the peptide. The affinity protein is originally based on the Affibody scaffold, but is evolved to a distinct interaction mechanism involving complex structural rearrangement in both the Aβ peptide and the affinity proteins upon binding. The aim of this study was to decrease the size of the dimeric affinity protein and significantly improve its affinity for the Aβ peptide to increase its potential as a future therapeutic agent. We combined a rational design approach with combinatorial protein engineering to generate two different affinity maturation libraries. The libraries were displayed on staphylococcal cells and high-affinity Aβ-binding molecules were isolated using flow-cytometric sorting. The best performing candidate binds Aβ with a KD value of around 300 pM, corresponding to a 50-fold improvement in affinity relative to the first-generation binder. The new dimeric Affibody molecule was shown to capture Aβ1-42 peptides from spiked E. coli lysate. Altogether, our results demonstrate successful engineering of this complex binder for increased affinity to the Aβ peptide.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Lindberg, Hanna, et al.
(author)
-
Flow-cytometric screening of aggregation-inhibitors using a fluorescence-assisted intracellular method
- 2017
-
In: Biotechnology Journal. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1860-6768 .- 1860-7314. ; 12:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aggregation of misfolded peptides and proteins is a key event in several neurodegenerative diseases. Suggested treatments of such disorders aim to inhibit the initial aggregation process. Here, we have developed an intracellular, function-based screening method, intended for isolation of aggregation-inhibitors from combinatorial protein libraries by flow-cytometric cell sorting. The method is based on fusion of aggregation-prone peptides to a fluorescent protein, functioning as a solubility reporter. Co-expression of a protein-based aggregation-inhibitor should prevent aggregation and thus increase the whole-cell fluorescence. We evaluated the method using the aggregation-prone Alzheimer's-related amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in fusion to green-fluorescent protein (GFP), and an Aβ aggregation-inhibiting Affibody molecule. To adapt the method for library applications, the inhibitor was linked to an mCherry reporter for normalization of protein expression levels. We found that aggregation propensity correlates with fluorescence intensity, as co-expression of the Affibody-inhibitor increased the whole-cell fluorescence relative to a non-inhibitor. Employing improved cultivation parameters, we furthermore demonstrated efficient rescue from aggregation of an α-synuclein-derived protein using a different type of aggregation-inhibitor. Importantly, we also showed that the Aβ aggregation-inhibiting Affibody molecule could be isolated from a 1:10,000 background of non-inhibitors, with around 3,500-fold enrichment, in one cycle of fluorescence-based cell sorting. In conclusion, our new method represents a promising approach for generation of novel protein-based aggregation-inhibitors.
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| 25. |
- Liu, Hao
(author)
-
Tumor targeted delivery of cytotoxic payloads using affibody molecules and ABD-derived affinity proteins
- 2018
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Cancer treatment cost billions of dollars every year, but the mortality rate is still high. An ideal treatment is the so-called “magic bullets” that recognize and kill tumor cells while leaving normal cells untouched. In recent years, some nonimmunoglobulin alternative scaffold affinity proteins, such as affibody molecules and ADAPTs, have emerged and been used to specifically recognize different tumor antigens. In this thesis, I studied the properties and anti-tumor activities of affibody and ADAPT fusion toxins and affibody drug conjugates. In the first two papers, I studied a panel of recombinant affitoxins (affibody toxin fusion proteins) consisting of an anti-HER2 affibody molecule (ZHER2), an albumin binding domain (ABD) and a truncated version of Pseudomonas Exotoxin A(PE38X8). The affitoxins demonstrated specific anti-tumor activity on HER2-overexpressing tumor cells in vitro. A biodistribution experiment showed that addition of an ABD increased the blood retention by 28-fold and a (HE)3 N-terminal purification tag decreased hepatic uptake of the affitoxin compared with a His6 tag. In paper III, I studied immunotoxins consisting of an anti-HER2 ABD-derived affinity protein (ADAPT), an ABD and a minimized and deimmunized version of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE25). These immunotoxins demonstrated potent and specific cytotoxicity toward HER2 overexpressing tumor cells in vitro similar to affitoxins. In paper IV, I produced a panel of affibody drug conjugates consisting of ZHER2, ABD and malemidocaproylmertansine (mc-DM1). The conjugates had selective toxic activity on HER2-overexpressing tumor cells in vitro comparable with the approved drug trastuzumab emtansine. The conjugate, ZHER2-ZHER2-ABD-mc-DM1 was found to prolong the life span of tumor bearing mice and delayed the growth ofxenografted SKOV-3 tumors. In conclusion, affibody molecules and ADAPTs are promising alternatives to antibodies for targeted tumor therapy.
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| 26. |
- Löfblom, John, et al.
(author)
-
Staphylococcus carnosus : from starter culture to protein engineering platform
- 2017
-
In: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. - : Springer. - 0175-7598 .- 1432-0614. ; 101:23-24, s. 8293-8307
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since the 1950s, Staphylococcus carnosus is used as a starter culture for sausage fermentation where it contributes to food safety, flavor, and a controlled fermentation process. The long experience with S. carnosus has shown that it is a harmless and "food grade" species. This was confirmed by the genome sequence of S. carnosus TM300 that lacks genes involved in pathogenicity. Since the development of a cloning system in TM300, numerous genes have been cloned, expressed, and characterized and in particular, virulence genes that could be functionally validated in this non-pathogenic strain. A secretion system was developed for production and secretion of industrially important proteins and later modified to also enable display of heterologous proteins on the surface. The display system has been employed for various purposes, such as development of live bacterial delivery vehicles as well as microbial biocatalysts or bioadsorbents for potential environmental or biosensor applications. Recently, this surface display system has been utilized for display of peptide and protein libraries for profiling of protease substrates and for generation of various affinity proteins, e.g., Affibody molecules and scFv antibodies. In addition, by display of fragmented antigen-encoding genes, the surface expression system has been successfully used for epitope mapping of antibodies. Reviews on specific applications of S. carnosus have been published earlier, but here we provide a more extensive overview, covering a broad range of areas from food fermentation to sophisticated methods for protein-based drug discovery, which are all based on S. carnosus.
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| 27. |
- Malm, Magdalena, et al.
(author)
-
Targeting HER3 using mono- and bispecific antibodies or alternative scaffolds
- 2016
-
In: mAbs. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1942-0862 .- 1942-0870. ; 8:7, s. 1195-1209
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) has in recent years been recognized as a key node in the complex signaling network of many different cancers. It is implicated in de novo and acquired resistance against therapies targeting other growth factor receptors, e.g., EGFR, HER2, and it is a major activator of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Consequently, HER3 has attracted substantial attention, and is today a key target for drugs in clinical development. Sophisticated protein engineering approaches have enabled the generation of a range of different affinity proteins targeting this receptor, including antibodies and alternative scaffolds that are either mono- or bispecific. Here, we describe HER3 and its role as a key tumor target, and give a comprehensive review of HER3-targeted proteins currently in development, including discussions on the opportunities and challenges of targeting this receptor.
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| 28. |
- Mitran, Bogdan, et al.
(author)
-
Affibody-mediated imaging of EGFR expression in prostate cancer using radiocobalt-labeled DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377)
- 2019
-
In: Oncology Reports. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1021-335X .- 1791-2431. ; 41:1, s. 534-542
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is often overexpressed during prostate cancer (PCa) progression towards androgen-independence after hormone therapy, but the overexpression is lower than in other types of cancers. Despite the low expression, EGFR has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for patients with castration-resistant PCa. Non-invasive methods for determination of EGFR expression in PCa can serve for patient stratification and therapy response monitoring. Radionuclide imaging probes based on affibody molecules (7 kDa) provide high contrast imaging of cancer-associated molecular targets. We hypothesized that the anti-EGFR affibody molecule DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) labeled with Co-55 (positron-emitter, T1/2=17.5 h) would enable imaging of EGFR expression in PCa xenografts. The human PCa cell line DU-145 was used for in vitro and in vivo experiments and Co-57 was used as a surrogate for Co-55 in the present study. Binding of Co-57-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) to EGFR-expressing xenografts was saturable with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab, which would motivate the use of this tracer for monitoring the receptor occupancy during treatment. A significant dose-dependent difference in radioactivity accumulation in tumors and normal organs was observed when the biodistribution was studied 3 h after the injection of 10 and 35 mu g of Co-57-DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377): At lower doses the tumor uptake was 2-fold higher although tumor-to-organ ratios were not altered. For clinically relevant organs for PCa, tumor-to-organ ratios increased with time, and at 24 h pi were 2.2 +/- 0.5 for colon, 7 +/- 2 for muscle, and 4.0 +/- 0.7 for bones. Small animal SPECT/CT images confirmed the capacity of radiocobalt labeled DOTA-Z(EGFR:2377) to visualize EGFR expression in PCa. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the feasibility of using the radiocobalt labeled anti-EGFR affibody conjugate Z(EGFR:2377) as an imaging agent for in vivo visualization of low EGFR-expressing tumors, like PCa, and for monitoring of receptor occupancy during cetuximab therapy as well as the importance of optimal dosing in order to achieve higher sensitivity molecular imaging.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Mitran, Bogdan, et al.
(author)
-
Radionuclide imaging of VEGFR2 in glioma vasculature using biparatopic affibody conjugate : proof-of-principle in a murine model
- 2018
-
In: Theranostics. - : Ivyspring International Publisher. - 1838-7640. ; 8:16, s. 4462-4476
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) is a key mediator of angiogenesis and therefore a promising therapeutic target in malignancies including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Molecular imaging of VEGFR2 expression may enable patient stratification for antiangiogenic therapy. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the capacity of the novel anti-VEGFR2 biparatopic affibody conjugate (Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2)) for in vivo visualization of VEGFR2 expression in GBM. Methods: Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) coupled to a NODAGA chelator was generated and radiolabeled with indium-111. The VEGFR2-expressing murine endothelial cell line MS1 was used to evaluate in vitro binding specificity and affinity, cellular processing and targeting specificity in mice. Further tumor targeting was studied in vivo in GL261 glioblastoma orthotopic tumors. Experimental imaging was performed. Results: [In-111]In-NODAGA-Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) bound specifically to VEGFR2 (K-D=33 +/- 18 pM). VEGFR2-mediated accumulation was observed in liver, spleen and lungs. The tumor-to-organ ratios 2 h post injection for mice bearing MS1 tumors were approximately 11 for blood, 15 for muscles and 78 for brain. Intracranial GL261 glioblastoma was visualized using SPECT/CT. The activity uptake in tumors was significantly higher than in normal brain tissue. The tumor-to-cerebellum ratios after injection of 4 mu g [In-111]In-NODAGA-Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) were significantly higher than the ratios observed for the 40 mu g injected dose and for the non-VEGFR2 binding size-matched conjugate, demonstrating target specificity. Microautoradiography of cryosectioned CNS tissue was in good agreement with the SPECT/CT images. Conclusion: The anti-VEGFR2 affibody conjugate [In-111]In-NODAGA-Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) specifically targeted VEGFR2 in vivo and visualized its expression in a murine GBM orthotopic model. Tumor-to-blood ratios for [In-111]In-NODAGA-Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) were higher compared to other VEGFR2 imaging probes. [In-111]In-NODAGA-Z(VEGFR2)-Bp(2) appears to be a promising probe for in vivo noninvasive visualization of tumor angiogenesis in glioblastoma.
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| 34. |
- Orlova, Anna, 1960-, et al.
(author)
-
Evaluation of the Therapeutic Potential of a HER3-Binding Affibody Construct TAM-HER3 in Comparison with a Monoclonal Antibody, Seribantumab
- 2018
-
In: Molecular Pharmaceutics. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1543-8384 .- 1543-8392. ; 15:8, s. 3394-3403
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) is recognized to be involved in resistance to HER targeting therapies. A number of HER3-targeting monoclonal antibodies are under clinical investigation as potential cancer therapeutics. Smaller high-affinity scaffold proteins are attractive non-Fc containing alternatives to antibodies. A previous study indicated that anti-HER3 affibody molecules could delay the growth of xenografted HER3-positive tumors. Here, we designed a second-generation HER3-targeting construct (TAM-HER3), containing two HER3-specific affibody molecules bridged by an albumin-binding domain (ABD) for extension of blood circulation. Receptor blocking activity was demonstrated in vitro. In mice bearing BxPC-3 xenografts, the therapeutic efficacy of TAM-HER3 was compared to the HER3-specific monoclonal antibody seribantumab (MM-121). TAM-HER3 inhibited heregulin-induced phosphorylation in a panel of HER3-expressing cancer cells and was found to be equally as potent as seribantumab in terms of therapeutic efficacy in vivo and with a similar safety profile. Median survival times were 60 days for TAM-HER3, 54 days for seribantumab, and 41 days for the control group. No pathological changes were observed in cytopathological examination. The multimeric HER3-binding affibody molecule in fusion to ABD seems promising for further evaluation as candidate therapeutics for treatment of HER3-overexpressing tumors.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Rinne, Sara S., et al.
(author)
-
Increase in negative charge of Ga-68/chelator complex reduces unspecific hepatic uptake but does not improve imaging properties of HER3-targeting affibody molecules
- 2019
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Upregulation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) is a common mechanism to bypass HER-targeted cancer therapy. Affibody-based molecular imaging has the potential for detecting and monitoring HER3 expression during treatment. In this study, we compared the imaging properties of newly generated Ga-68-labeled anti-HER3 affibody molecules (HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-DOTA and (HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-DOTAGA with previously reported [Ga-68]Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-NODAGA. We hypothesized that increasing the negative charge of the gallium-68/chelator complex would reduce hepatic uptake, which could lead to improved contrast of anti-HER3 affibody-based PET-imaging of HER3 expression. (HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-X (X = DOTA, DOTAGA) were produced and labeled with gallium-68. Binding of the new conjugates was specific in HER3 expressing BxPC-3 and DU145 human cancer cells. Biodistribution and in vivo specificity was studied in BxPC-3 xenograft bearing Balb/c nu/nu mice 3 h pi. DOTA- and DOTAGA-containing conjugates had significantly higher concentration in blood than [Ga-68]Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-NODAGA. Presence of the negatively charged Ga-68-DOTAGA complex reduced the unspecific hepatic uptake, but did not improve overall biodistribution of the conjugate. [Ga-68]Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-DOTAGA and [Ga-68]Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-NODAGA had similar tumor-to-liver ratios, but [Ga-68]Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-NODAGA had the highest tumor uptake and tumor-to-blood ratio among the tested conjugates. In conclusion, [Ga-68] Ga-(HE)(3)-Z(HER3)-NODAGA remains the favorable variant for PET imaging of HER3 expression.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Rinne, Sara S., et al.
(author)
-
Optimization of HER3 expression imaging using affibody molecules : Influence of chelator for labeling with indium-111
- 2019
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Radionuclide molecular imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) expression using affibody molecules could be used for patient stratification for HER3-targeted cancer therapeutics. We hypothesized that the properties of HER3-targeting affibody molecules might be improved through modification of the radiometal-chelator complex. Macrocyclic chelators NOTA (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N',N ''-triacetic acid), NODAGA (1-(1,3-carboxypropyl)-4,7-carboxymethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraaceticacid), and DOTAGA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododececane, 1-(glutaric acid)-4,7,10-triacetic acid) were conjugated to the C-terminus of anti-HER3 affibody molecule Z(08698) and conjugates were labeled with indium-111. All conjugates bound specifically and with picomolar affinity to HER3 in vitro. In mice bearing HER3-expressing xenografts, no significant difference in tumor uptake between the conjugates was observed. Presence of the negatively charged In-111-DOTAGA-complex resulted in the lowest hepatic uptake and the highest tumor-to-liver ratio. In conclusion, the choice of chelator influences the biodistribution of indium-111 labeled anti-HER3 affibody molecules. Hepatic uptake of anti-HER3 affibody molecules could be reduced by the increase of negative charge of the radiometal-chelator complex on the C-terminus without significantly influencing the tumor uptake.
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| 41. |
- Rosestedt, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Affibody-mediated PET imaging of HER3 expression in malignant tumours
- 2015
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3(HER3) is involved in the progression of various cancers and in resistance to therapies targeting the HER family. In vivo imaging of HER3 expression would enable patient stratification for anti-HER3 immunotherapy. Key challenges with HER3-targeting are the relatively low expression in HER3-positive tumours and HER3 expression in normal tissues. The use of positron-emission tomography (PET) provides advantages of high resolution, sensitivity and quantification accuracy compared to SPECT. Affibody molecules, imaging probes based on a non-immunoglobulin scaffold, provide high imaging contrast shortly after injection. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility of PET imaging of HER3 expression using 68Ga-labeled affibody molecules. The anti-HER3 affibody molecule HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA was successfully labelled with 68Ga with high yield, purity and stability. The agent bound specifically to HER3-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. At 3 h pi, uptake of 68Ga-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA was significantly higher in xenografts with high HER3 expression (BT474, BxPC-3) than in xenografts with low HER3 expression (A431). In xenografts with high expression, tumour-to-blood ratios were >20, tumour-to-muscle >15, and tumour-to-bone >7. HER3-positive xenografts were visualised using microPET 3 h pi. In conclusion, PET imaging of HER3 expression is feasible using 68Ga-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA shortly after administration.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- Rosestedt, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Evaluation of a radiocobalt-labelled affibody molecule for imaging of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 expression
- 2017
-
In: International Journal of Oncology. - : Spandidos Publications. - 1019-6439 .- 1791-2423. ; 51:6, s. 1765-1774
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is involved in the development of cancer resistance towards tyrosine kinase-Targeted therapies. Several HER3-Targeting therapeutics are currently under clinical evaluation. Non-invasive imaging of HER3 expression could improve patient management. Affibody molecules are small engineered scaffold proteins demonstrating superior properties as targeting probes for molecular imaging compared with monoclonal antibodies. Feasibility of in vivo HER3 imaging using affibody molecules has been previously demonstrated. Preclinical studies have shown that the contrast when imaging using anti-HER3 affibody molecules can be improved over time. We aim to develop an agent for PET imaging of HER3 expression using the long-lived positron-emitting radionuclide cobalt-55 (55Co) (T1/2=17.5 h). A long-lived cobalt isotope 57Co was used as a surrogate for 55Co in this study. The anti-HER3 affibody molecule HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA was labelled with radiocobalt with high yield, purity and stability. Biodistribution of 57Co-HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA was measured in mice bearing DU145 (prostate carcinoma) and LS174T (colorectal carcinoma) xenografts at 3 and 24 h post injection (p.i.). Tumour-To-blood ratios significantly increased between 3 and 24 h p.i. (p<0.05). At 24 h p.i., tumour-To-blood ratios were 6 for DU145 and 8 for LS174T xenografts, respectively. HER3-expressing xenografts were clearly visualized in a preclinical imaging setting already 3 h p.i., and contrast further improved at 24 h p.i. In conclusion, the radiocobalt-labelled anti-HER3 affibody molecule, HEHEHE-ZHER3-NOTA, is a promising tracer for imaging of HER3 expression in tumours.
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| 44. |
- Rosestedt, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Improved contrast of affibody-mediated imaging of HER3 expression in mouse xenograft model through co-injection of a trivalent affibody for in vivo blocking of hepatic uptake
- 2019
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 (HER3) plays a crucial role in the progression of many cancer types. In vivo radionuclide imaging could be a reliable method for repetitive detection of HER3-expression in tumors. The main challenge of HER3-imaging is the low expression in tumors together with endogenous receptor expression in normal tissues, particularly the liver. A HER3-targeting affibody molecule labeled with radiocobalt via a NOTA chelator [Co-57]Co-NOTA-Z(08699) has demonstrated the most favorable biodistribution profile with the lowest unspecific hepatic uptake and high activity uptake in tumors. We hypothesized that specific uptake of labeled affibody monomer might be selectively blocked in the liver but not in tumors by a co-injection of non-labeled corresponding trivalent affibody (Z(08699))(3). Biodistribution of [Co-57]Co-NOTA-Z(08699) and [In-111]ln-DOTA-(Z(08699))(3) was studied in BxPC-3 xenografted mice. [Co-57]Co-NOTA-Z(08699) was co-injected with unlabeled trivalent affibody DOTA-(Z(08699))(3) at different monomer:trimer molar ratios. HER3-expression in xenografts was imaged using [Co-57]Co-NOTA-Z(08699) and [Co-57]Co-NOTA-Z(08699): DOTA-(Z(08699))(3). Hepatic activity uptake of [Co-57] Co-NOTA-Z(08699): DOTA-(Z(08699))(3) decreased with increasing monomer:trimer molar ratio. The tumor activity uptake and tumor-to-liver ratios were the highest for the 1:3 ratio. SPECT/CT images confirmed the biodistribution data. Imaging of HER3 expression can be improved by co-injection of a radiolabeled monomeric affi body-based imaging probe together with a trivalent affibody.
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| 45. |
- Sandersjöö, Lisa, 1984-
(author)
-
Bacteria-based methods for engineering and characterization of proteases and affinity proteins
- 2015
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis is focused on the development of methods for characterization and engineering of both proteases and affinity proteins. In addition, a prodrug concept for small affinity proteins is developed.Two of the developed methods are for engineering and/or characterization of proteases. First, a method for substrate profiling and engineering of proteases was investigated (paper I). In this method, a protease and a reporter are co-expressed in E. coli. The reporter is comprised of an enzyme, which confers resistance to an antibiotic, fused to a substrate, and a degradation tag. In absence of site-specific proteolysis within the reporter, the degradation tag renders the entire reporter a substrate for the intracellular degradation machinery. Thus, by applying competitive growth in presence of the antibiotic, a substrate that is preferred by a model protease could be enriched relative to less efficiently hydrolyzed substrates. Then, an alternative method for substrate profiling was developed (paper III). Here, the substrate is instead displayed on the surface of bacteria, and located between two anti-idiotypic domains, where one blocks the other from interacting with a reporter. Site-specific proteolysis releases the blocking domain and is therefore reflected in reporter binding. After incubation with fluorescently labeled reporter, the proteolysis can be analyzed by flow cytometry. When large libraries of potential substrates for matrix metalloprotease 1 (MMP-1) were screened, a panel of substrates with the previously reported motif PXXXHy was enriched, thereby demonstrating the potential of the method. This method offers the possibility for high-throughput substrate profiling of proteases as well as engineering of substrates for use in for example protease-activated prodrugs.In another study, a new prodrug concept for small affinity proteins was developed to improve the tissue selectivity in future in vivo studies (paper II). This concept takes advantage of the local upregulation of proteases in the diseased tissue in various disorders. By fusing a targeting domain to an anti-idiotypic binding partner via a protease-sensitive linker, the targeting domain is masked from interacting with its target until activation by site-specific proteolysis within the linker. The concept was demonstrated for a small affinity protein (Affibody molecule). Bacterial display was employed to engineer the so-called pro-Affibody. When displayed on the bacterial surface, the pro-Affibody showed over 1.000-fold increase in apparent binding affinity upon activation by a disease-associated protease. Additionally, the activated pro-Affibody could bind to its target expressed on cancer cells, as opposed to the non-activated pro-Affibody. This concept is likely to be extendable to other small affinity proteins and opens up for the possibility to develop new such prodrugs to previously non-druggable targets.In the last study, a screening method for protein-based aggregation inhibitors was developed (paper IV). In this method, a reporter and an inhibitor are co-expressed in E. coli. The reporter is comprised of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to an aggregation prone peptide. Upon aggregation, the fluorescence is decreased, but it is then restored when the reporter is co-expressed with an inhibitor. In a model screening experiment, an Affibody molecule that targets the Aβ peptide (involved in Alzheimer’s disease) could be enriched from a background of non-inhibiting Affibody molecules. Also this method is likely to be extendable to other types of affinity proteins, and also to different aggregation prone peptides/proteins involved in other diseases.In conclusion, the methods and concepts presented in this thesis could in the future yield new means for the engineering and characterization of proteins with desired properties to be used in both biotechnological and medical applications.
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| 46. |
- Schultheiss, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
-
Comparative Study on the Machinability and Manufacturing Cost in Low-Lead Brass
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing. ; , s. 496-503
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today, commercially used brasses commonly contain 2 to 4 wt.% lead. As the availability of low-lead and lead-freebrass increase, there are environmental incentives for investigating the consequences of replacing thelead-containing brasses with lead-free equivalents. Generally, lead-free brass is expected to have a lowermachinability than its lead-alloyed counterpart, implying a higher manufacturing cost. Thus, the aim of this studyhas been to quantify the added manufacturing cost by replacing a standard brass alloy with a low-lead alternative.This was done through a case study performed at a Swedish SME which replaced CuZn39Pb3 (3.3 wt.% Pb) withlow-lead CuZn21Si3P (<0.09 wt.% lead) for a select part. Since CuZn21Si3P is almost twice as expensive asCuZn39Pb3, the material cost was found to have a substantial influence on the manufacturing cost. Additionally,the lower machinability implied a longer cycle time and higher losses while machining CuZn21Si3P, resulting in a77% overall increase in manufacturing cost when using the low-lead material. Arguably, the difference in materialcost, and thus manufacturing cost, may decrease over time making production of low-lead and lead-free brassproducts a viable option, especially when considering the environmental incentive for decreasing the amount oflead in circulation.
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| 47. |
- Schultheiss, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
-
Machinability and manufacturing cost in low-lead brass
- 2018
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In: International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0268-3768 .- 1433-3015. ; 99:9-12, s. 2101-2110
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Today, commercially used brasses commonly contain 2 to 4 wt% lead. As the availability of low-lead and lead-free brass increases, there are environmental incentives for investigating the consequences of replacing the lead-containing brasses with lead-free equivalents. Generally, lead-free brass is expected to have a lower machinability than its lead-alloyed counterpart, implying a higher manufacturing cost. Thus, the aim of this study has been to quantify the added manufacturing cost by replacing a standard brass alloy with a low-lead alternative. This was done through a case study performed at a Swedish SME which replaced CuZn39Pb3 (3.3 wt% Pb) with low-lead CuZn21Si3P (< 0.09 wt% lead) for a select part. Since CuZn21Si3P is almost twice as expensive as CuZn39Pb3, the material cost was found to have a substantial influence on the manufacturing cost. Additionally, the lower machinability implied a longer cycle time and higher losses while machining CuZn21Si3P, resulting in a 77% overall increase in manufacturing cost when using the low-lead material. Arguably, the difference in material cost, and thus manufacturing cost, may decrease over time making production of low-lead and lead-free brass products a viable option, especially when considering the environmental incentive for decreasing the amount of lead in circulation.
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| 48. |
- Schultheiss, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
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Tool Wear Mechanisms of pcBN tooling during High-Speed Machining of Gray Cast Iron
- 2018
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In: 8th CIRP Conference on High Performance Cutting (HPC 2018). - : Elsevier BV. - 2212-8271. ; 77, s. 606-609
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The presence of graphite particles in gray cast iron commonly implies a good machinability, especially if compared to common steels. However, increasing industrial demands have resulted in a new interest for high-speed machining of these materials with higher performing tool materials than the traditionally used. Thus, the research presented in this paper focuses on evaluating the active tool wear mechanisms while high-speed machining EN-GJL-250 gray cast iron with pcBN tools with different composition, geometries and edge preparations. In addition to the expected flank and notch wear, formation of MnS, SiO2, and Al2O3 tool protection layers was found on the worn surfaces. Non-chamfered tools exhibited higher tendency towards notching. In general, the tools were found to have a rather small wear land but large edged radius indicating edge rounding being a more accurate wear criterion.
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| 49. |
- Ståhl, Magnus, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Additives for wood fuel pellet production - A win, win, win situation
- 2016
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The production and use of wood-fuel pellets, preferably made from sawdust or shavings, have increased significantly worldwide in recent years. If wood-fuel pellets should continue to be a successful biofuel at the energy market there are several factors to take into consideration. The pellet production industry already tries to reduce the production cost, since it is a low margin business. Further, it tries to produce pellets from a broader raw material base and at the same time satisfy the customer requirements while producing a sustainable product. The wood fuel pellet industry has the possibility to meet all these criteria; however, it also has the potential for improvements.This work focuses on energy efficiency, technical aspects and environmental factors, i.e., the electricity consumption, the physical and mechanical properties of the pellets, and the CO2 equivalent emitted during production, respectively. 20 various additives, with an admixture of up to 2 % (wt.), have been tested during wood fuel pellet production at Karlstad University. This work presents the benefits of using different additives in pellet production and the cost associated with different additives. The results shows that additive from the sea and from farmlands (algae, rape seed cake and grass) decrease the energy use in the pellet press but unfortunately also decrease the durability. Additives from wood (resins, lignin) and molasses increases the durability of the pellet but shows almost no or little change in electricity consumption. However, using starch grades, white sugar or spent sulphite liquor as an additive increases the mechanical properties while it decreases both the electricity consumption and the climate impact, hence a win-win-win situation. To justify the use of additives from a climate impact perspective in regions with an OECD European electricity mix or the Swedish electricity mix, the usage of additives from the rest products where the CO2 equivalent emissions are allocated to the main product are crucial.In conclusion, it is necessary to do research that systematically investigates the consequences of using additives for wood fuel pellets to continuously be a successful biofuel at the energy market
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| 50. |
- Ståhl, Magnus, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Mechanical Dewatering has Positive Effects on the Thermal Drying Efficiency and Wood Pellet Quality
- 2018
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This work is done within the research group NewDeP (New Development for Pellet Technology), located at Karlstad University, Sweden. The NewDeP focus area is additive use, energy analyzes and bonding mechanisms. The research group manages test bed lab equipment including a single pellet press unit and a full pilot scale production unit, with the possibility to measure and analyze the pellet process from wet raw material to stored pellets.There is a need to increase the utilization of biomass and thus be part of the transformation towards a circular bio-economy, and also to do it with high energy-efficiency. When industries process biomasses, it is often done through multiple operations where drying is the most energy demanding step, since large quantities of thermal energy are used. The Drinor Continuous Dewatering Press (CDP) is a new Swedish compression press technology for dewatering of biomass. The CDP reduces the water content by 50% and reduces energy costs by 95%. Energy-efficient dewatering of biomasses increases the possibilities to use more by-products from the forest, and it could also be used in the creation of completely new process chains while refining raw materials. Including the CDP press in the pellet production chain creates new prerequisites for making pellets.In the literature are presented that the fibrous cell walls collapse under high pressure, resulting in the elimination of hemicellulose and lignin as well as affects further drying and internal diffusion of water. The fact that hemicellulosan's flexible polysaccharides strongly link to pelletability have been demonstrated in a recent study at Karlstad University and that lignin has positive bonding properties while high proportion of extractants is negative for pelletability. This is well described in the literature.This initial study had the aim to investigate how the CDP affects the drying and pelleting processes. The sawdust used was dewatered by the CDP from 55% down to 40 % (wb). The thermal drying tests was carried out in a pneumatic dryer with an inlet air temperature of 150°C from 40 % down to 10 % (wb). The pelltizing tests where done in both single pellet press unit and continous pilot scale production.Early results show that the change in material structures on the basis of the CDP have a positive effect on the drying efficiency (SMER) compared to non-pressed sawdust. Further, the CDP as a complement to thermal drying and its affection on the structure of sawdust and its porosity is favorable to the pellet density and hardness as well as the decrease in friction work during production (in a single pellet unit). The CDP could also reduce the energy needed for grinding since the results show that the lowest friction force in the press and highest pellet density and hardness was created from non-grinded material. The lower friction work could mean that the production rate could be increased producing good quality pellets. The results indicate that the pellet production chain can be redesigned using CDP but further research is needed.
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