title: (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342), an Affibody molecule-based tracer for the detection of HER2 expression in malignant tumors.
abstract: Detection of HER2-overexpression in tumors and metastases is important for the selection of patients who will benefit from trastuzumab treatment. Earlier investigations showed successful imaging of HER2-positive tumors in patients using indium- or gallium-labeled Affibody molecules. The goal of this study was to evaluate the use of (99m)Tc-labeled Affibody molecules for the detection of HER2 expression. The Affibody molecule Z(HER2:342) with the chelator sequences mercaptoacetyl-Gly-Glu-Gly (maGEG) and mercaptoacetyl-Glu-Glu-Glu (maEEE) was synthesized by peptide synthesis and labeled with technetium-99m. Binding specificity, cellular retention, and in vitro stability were investigated. The biodistribution of (99m)Tc-maGEG-Z(HER2:342) and (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342) was compared with (99m)Tc-maGGG-Z(HER2:342) in normal mice, and the tumor targeting properties of (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342) were determined in SKOV-3 xenografted nude mice. The results showed that the Affibody molecules were efficiently labeled with technetium-99m. The labeled conjugates were highly stable in vitro with preserved HER2-binding capacity. The use of glutamic acid in the chelator sequences for (99m)Tc-labeling of Z(HER2:342) reduced the hepatobiliary excretion 3-fold with a single Gly-to-Glu substitution and 10-fold with three Gly-to-Glu substitutions. (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342) showed a receptor-specific tumor uptake of 7.9 +/- 1.0 %IA/g and a tumor-to-blood ratio of 38 at 4 h pi. Gamma-camera imaging with (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342) could detect HER2-expressing tumors in xenografts already at 1 h pi. It was concluded that peptide synthesis for the coupling of chelator sequences to Affibody molecules for (99m)Tc labeling is an efficient way to modify the in vivo kinetics. Increased hydrophilicity, combined with improved stability of the mercaptoacetyl-triglutamyl chelator, resulted in favorable biodistribution, making (99m)Tc-maEEE-Z(HER2:342) a promising tracer for clinical imaging of HER2 overexpression in tumors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thuy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Torun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Engfeldt
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orlova
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandström
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldwisch
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abrahmsén
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wennborg
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tolmachev
authors.forename: Amelie Eriksson
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Karlström
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D009842:Oligopeptides; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C525964:mercaptoacetyl-Glu-Glu-Glu