title: Antibody Guided Molecular Imaging of Infective Endocarditis.
abstract: In this protocol, we describe the application of using a high affinity monoclonal antibody generated against the major pilin protein component of the pilin structure of Enterococcus faecalis as a PET imaging agent for enterococcal endocarditis detection. The anti-pilin -mAb 64Cu conjugate was able to specifically label enterococcal endocarditis vegetation in vivo in a rodent endocarditis model. By targeting pili, a covalently linked surface antigen extending from the bacterial surface, we provided evidence that gram-positive pilin represent a logical surface antigen to define or target an infectious agent for molecularly guided imaging. Our goal in providing a detailed protocol of our efforts is to enable others to build upon this methodology to answer pertinent translational and basic research questions in the pursuit of diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1825 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Pinkston
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1825 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kavindra V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1825 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azhdarinia
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.|Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1825 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sevick-Muraca
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1825 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA. Barrett.harvey@uth.tmc.edu.|Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Barrett.harvey@uth.tmc.edu.|Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. Barrett.harvey@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Barrett R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D051381:Rats; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015415:Biomarkers; D018796:Immunoconjugates
keywords: Antigen; Bacterial infection; Endocarditis; Enterococcus; Gram-positive pathogen; In vivo; LPXTG anchored; Monoclonal antibody; PET imaging; Pili