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Quigley NG, Steiger K, Färber SF, Richter F, Weichert W, Notni J. Sensitive Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of PD-L1 Expression in Human Breast and Lung Carcinoma Xenografts Using the Radiometalated Peptide Ga-68-TRAP-WL12. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1827-1837. [PMID: 38291706 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Noninvasive imaging of the immune checkpoint protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1; synonyms: CD274, B7-H1) holds great promise to improve patient selection and, thus, response rates for immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) with monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD1/PD-L1 axis. The PD-L1 specific peptide WL12 (cyclo(AcY-(NMe)A-N-P-H-L-Hyp-W-S-W(Me)-(NMe)Nle-(NMe)Nle-O-C)-G-NH2) was functionalized with the Gallium-68 chelator TRAP by means of click chemistry (CuAAC). The resulting conjugate TRAP-WL12 was labeled with Gallium-68 within 16 min, with approximately 90% radiochemical yield and 99% radiochemical purity, affording Ga-68-TRAP-WL12 with molar activities typically exceeding 100 MBq/nmol. This radiotracer was characterized by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and ex vivo biodistribution in murine xenografts of nontransfected PD-L1 expressing tumor cell lines, MDA-MB-231 (human breast carcinoma), and H2009 (human lung adenocarcinoma). It showed a favorable biodistribution profile with rapid renal clearance and low background (tumor-to-blood ratio = 26.6, 3 h p.i.). Conjugation of the Ga-68-TRAP moiety to WL12 successfully mitigated the nonspecific uptake of this peptide in organs, particularly the liver. This was demonstrated by comparing Ga-68-TRAP-WL12 with the archetypical Ga-68-DOTA-WL12, for which tumor-to-liver ratios of 1.4 and 0.5, respectively, were found. Although immunohistochemistry (IHC) revealed a low PD-L1 expression in MDA-MB-213 and H2009 xenografts that corresponds well to the clinical situation, PET showed high tumor uptakes (6.6 and 7.3% injected activity per gram of tissue (iA/g), respectively) for Ga-68-TRAP-WL12. Thus, this tracer has the potential for routine clinical PD-L1 PET imaging because it detects even very low PD-L1 expression densities with high sensitivity and may open an avenue to replace PD-L1 IHC of biopsies as the standard means to select potential responders for ICT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Gerard Quigley
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
| | - Stefanie Felicitas Färber
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
| | - Frauke Richter
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
| | - Johannes Notni
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Trogerstr. 18, München D-81675, Germany
- TRIMT GmbH, Carl-Eschebach-Str. 7, Radeberg D-01454, Germany
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2
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Donnelly DJ, Kim J, Tran T, Scola PM, Tenney D, Pena A, Petrone T, Zhang Y, Boy KM, Poss MA, Cole EL, Soars MG, Johnson BM, Cohen D, Batalla D, Chow PL, Shorts AO, Du S, Meanwell NA, Bonacorsi SJ. The discovery and evaluation of [ 18F]BMS-986229, a novel macrocyclic peptide PET radioligand for the measurement of PD-L1 expression and in-vivo PD-L1 target engagement. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:978-990. [PMID: 38049658 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06527-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A same-day PET imaging agent capable of measuring PD-L1 status in tumors is an important tool for optimizing PD-1 and PD-L1 treatments. Herein we describe the discovery and evaluation of a novel, fluorine-18 labeled macrocyclic peptide-based PET ligand for imaging PD-L1. METHODS [18F]BMS-986229 was synthesized via copper mediated click-chemistry to yield a PD-L1 PET ligand with picomolar affinity and was tested as an in-vivo tool for assessing PD-L1 expression. RESULTS Autoradiography showed an 8:1 binding ratio in L2987 (PD-L1 (+)) vs. HT-29 (PD-L1 (-)) tumor tissues, with >90% specific binding. Specific radioligand binding (>90%) was observed in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and cynomolgus monkey spleen tissues. Images of PD-L1 (+) tissues in primates were characterized by high signal-to-noise, with low background signal in non-expressing tissues. PET imaging enabled clear visualization of PD-L1 expression in a murine model in vivo, with 5-fold higher uptake in L2987 (PD-L1 (+)) than in control HT-29 (PD-L1 (-)) tumors. Moreover, this imaging agent was used to measure target engagement of PD-L1 inhibitors (peptide or mAb), in PD-L1 (+) tumors as high as 97%. CONCLUSION A novel 18F-labeled macrocyclic peptide radioligand was developed for PET imaging of PD-L1 expressing tissues that demonstrated several advantages within a nonhuman primate model when compared directly to adnectin- or mAb-based ligands. Clinical studies are currently evaluating [18F]BMS-986229 to measure PD-L1 expression in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Donnelly
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery-PET Radiochemical Synthesis, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA.
| | | | - Tritin Tran
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery-PET Radiochemical Synthesis, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA
| | - Paul M Scola
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yunhui Zhang
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, USA
| | - Kenneth M Boy
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, USA
| | - Michael A Poss
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, USA
| | - Erin L Cole
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery-PET Radiochemical Synthesis, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA
| | - Matthew G Soars
- Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, USA
| | - Benjamin M Johnson
- Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, USA
| | - Daniel Cohen
- Biologics and Platforms, Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, USA
| | - Daniel Batalla
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery-PET Radiochemical Synthesis, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA
| | | | | | - Shuyan Du
- Imaging, Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, USA
| | | | - Samuel J Bonacorsi
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery-PET Radiochemical Synthesis, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ, 08543, USA
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3
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Zhou M, Xiang S, Zhao Y, Tang Y, Yang J, Yin X, Tian J, Hu S, Du Y. [ 68Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 PET imaging to assess the PD-L1 status in preclinical and first-in-human study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:369-379. [PMID: 37759096 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06447-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE PD-L1 PET imaging, as a non-invasive procedure, can perform a real-time, dynamic and quantitative analysis of PD-L1 expression at tumor sites. In this study, we developed a novel peptide-based PET tracer, [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12, for preclinical and first-of-its-kind imaging of PD-L1 expression in patients. METHODS Radiosynthesis of [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 was conducted. Assays for cellular uptake and binding were conducted on the PANC02, CT26, and B16F10 cell lines. Preclinical models were used to investigate its biodistribution, imaging capacity, and pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was used for development of an animal model with high PD-L1 expression for targeted PET imaging and efficacy evaluation of PD-L1 blocking therapy. In healthy volunteers and cancer patients, the PD-L1 imaging, radiation dosimetry, safety, and biodistribution were further evaluated. RESULTS In vitro and in vivo animal studies showed that [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 PET imaging displayed a high specificity in evaluating PD-L1 expression. The radiochemical yield of [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 was 71.7 ± 8.2%. Additionally, its molar activity and radiochemical purity were satisfactory. The B16F10 tumor was visualized with the tumor uptake of 6.86 ± 0.71% ID/g and tumor-to-muscle ratio of 6.83 ± 0.36 at 60 min after [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 injection. Furthermore, [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 PET imaging could sensitively detect the PD-L1 dynamic changes in CT26 tumor xenograft models regulated by IFN-γ treatment, and correspondingly can effectively guide immunotherapy. Regarding radiation dosimetry, [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 is safe for human use. The first human study found that [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 can be rapidly cleared from blood and other nonspecific organs through the kidney excretion, leading to form a clear imaging contrast in the clinical framework. The specificity of [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 was validated and tumor uptake strongly correlated with the high PD-L1 expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). CONCLUSION [68 Ga]Ga-AUNP-12 was successfully developed as a PD-L1-specific PET imaging tracer in preclinical and first-in-human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Shijun Xiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yajie Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yongxiang Tang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jinhui Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Xiaoqin Yin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jie Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing, 100190, China.
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, School of Medicine, Beihang University, No. 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biological Nanotechnology of National Health Commission, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Rd, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Yang Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 95 Zhongguancun East Road, Beijing, 100190, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, People's Republic of China.
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Ge S, Zhang B, Li J, Shi J, Jia T, Wang Y, Chen Z, Sang S, Deng S. A novel 68Ga-labeled cyclic peptide molecular probe based on the computer-aided design for noninvasive imaging of PD-L1 expression in tumors. Bioorg Chem 2023; 140:106785. [PMID: 37639759 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) serves as a crucial biomarker for guiding the screening of cancer patients and the stratification of immunotherapy. However, due to the high heterogeneity of tumors, the current gold standard for detecting PD-L1 expression (immunohistochemistry) fails to comprehensively evaluate the overall PD-L1 expression levels in the body. Fortunately, the use of PD-L1 targeted radiotracers enables quantitative, real-time, and noninvasive assessment of PD-L1 expression levels and dynamics in tumors. Notably, analyzing the binding mode between the precursor and the target protein to find linker binding sites that do not affect the activity of the target molecule can greatly enhance the successful development of molecular probes. This study introduced a groundbreaking cyclic peptide molecular probe called 68Ga-DOTA-PG1. It was derived from the BMS-71 cyclic peptide and was specifically designed to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in tumors. The radiolabeling yield of 68Ga-DOTA-PG1 surpassed 97% while maintaining a radiochemical purity of over 99%. In vitro experiments demonstrated the effective targeting of PD-L1 in tumor cells by 68Ga-DOTA-PG1, with significantly higher cellular uptake observed in A375-hPD-L1 cells (PD-L1 + ) compared to A375 cells (PD-L1-). Biodistribution and PET imaging studies consistently showed specific accumulation of 68Ga-DOTA-PG1 in A375-hPD-L1 tumors, with a maximum uptake of 11.06 ± 1.70% ID/g at 2 h, significantly higher than the tumor uptake in A375 cells (1.70 ± 0.17% ID/g). These results strongly indicated that 68Ga-DOTA-PG1 held great promise as a PET radiotracer for imaging PD-L1-positive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushan Ge
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; Nuclear Medicine Laboratory of Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang 621099, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Jihui Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Jinyu Shi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Tongtong Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Zhengguo Chen
- Nuclear Medicine Laboratory of Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang 621099, China.
| | - Shibiao Sang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
| | - Shengming Deng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China; Nuclear Medicine Laboratory of Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang 621099, China.
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5
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Bamminger K, Pichler V, Vraka C, Nehring T, Pallitsch K, Lieder B, Hacker M, Wadsak W. On the Road towards Small-Molecule Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1 Positron Emission Tomography Tracers: A Ligand-Based Drug Design Approach. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1051. [PMID: 37513962 PMCID: PMC10385977 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade for cancer therapy showed promising results in clinical studies. Further endeavors are required to enhance patient stratification, as, at present, only a small portion of patients with PD-L1-positive tumors (as determined by PD-L1 targeted immunohistochemistry; IHC) benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. This can be explained by the heterogeneity of tumor lesions and the intrinsic limitation of multiple biopsies. Consequently, non-invasive in vivo quantification of PD-L1 on tumors and metastases throughout the entire body using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging holds the potential to augment patient stratification. Within the scope of this work, six new small molecules were synthesized by following a ligand-based drug design approach supported by computational docking utilizing lead structures based on the (2-methyl-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl)methanol scaffold and evaluated in vitro for potential future use as PD-L1 PET tracers. The results demonstrated binding affinities in the nanomolar to micromolar range for lead structures and newly prepared molecules, respectively. Carbon-11 labeling was successfully and selectively established and optimized with very good radiochemical conversions of up to 57%. The obtained insights into the significance of polar intermolecular interactions, along with the successful radiosyntheses, could contribute substantially to the future development of small-molecule PD-L1 PET tracers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Bamminger
- CBmed GmbH-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Pichler
- CBmed GmbH-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Chrysoula Vraka
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tina Nehring
- CBmed GmbH-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Barbara Lieder
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- CBmed GmbH-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Krutzek F, Donat CK, Ullrich M, Zarschler K, Ludik MC, Feldmann A, Loureiro LR, Kopka K, Stadlbauer S. Design and Biological Evaluation of Small-Molecule PET-Tracers for Imaging of Programmed Death Ligand 1. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092638. [PMID: 37174103 PMCID: PMC10177516 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Noninvasive molecular imaging of the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint is of high clinical relevance for patient stratification and therapy monitoring in cancer patients. Here we report nine small-molecule PD-L1 radiotracers with solubilizing sulfonic acids and a linker-chelator system, designed by molecular docking experiments and synthesized according to a new, convergent synthetic strategy. Binding affinities were determined both in cellular saturation and real-time binding assay (LigandTracer), revealing dissociation constants in the single digit nanomolar range. Incubation in human serum and liver microsomes proved in vitro stability of these compounds. Small animal PET/CT imaging, in mice bearing PD-L1 overexpressing and PD-L1 negative tumors, showed moderate to low uptake. All compounds were cleared primarily through the hepatobiliary excretion route and showed a long circulation time. The latter was attributed to strong blood albumin binding effects, discovered during our binding experiments. Taken together, these compounds are a promising starting point for further development of a new class of PD-L1 targeting radiotracers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Krutzek
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Cornelius K Donat
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Ullrich
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kristof Zarschler
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marie-Charlotte Ludik
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anja Feldmann
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Liliana R Loureiro
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Dresden, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sven Stadlbauer
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
- School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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Warashina S, Sato H, Zouda M, Takahashi M, Wada Y, Passioura T, Suga H, Watanabe Y, Matsumoto K, Mukai H. Two-Chain Mature Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Specific Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Tumors Using 64Cu-Labeled HiP-8, a Nonstandard Macrocyclic Peptide Probe. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:2029-2038. [PMID: 36862642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c01020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Two-chain hepatocyte growth factor (tcHGF), the mature form of HGF, is associated with malignancy and anticancer drug resistance; therefore, its quantification is an important indicator for cancer diagnosis. In tumors, activated tcHGF hardly discharges into the systemic circulation, indicating that tcHGF is an excellent target for molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET). We recently discovered HGF-inhibitory peptide-8 (HiP-8) that binds specifically to human tcHGF with nanomolar affinity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of HiP-8-based PET probes in human HGF knock-in humanized mice. 64Cu-labeled HiP-8 molecules were synthesized using a cross-bridged cyclam chelator, CB-TE1K1P. Radio-high-performance liquid chromatography-based metabolic stability analyses showed that more than 90% of the probes existed in intact form in blood at least for 15 min. In PET studies, significantly selective visualization of hHGF-overexpressing tumors versus hHGF-negative tumors was observed in double-tumor-bearing mice. The accumulation of labeled HiP-8 into the hHGF-overexpressing tumors was significantly reduced by competitive inhibition. In addition, the radioactivity and distribution of phosphorylated MET/HGF receptor were colocalized in tissues. These results demonstrate that the 64Cu-labeled HiP-8 probes are suitable for tcHGF imaging in vivo, and secretory proteins like tcHGF can be a target for PET imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Warashina
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sato
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Maki Zouda
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Maiko Takahashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Wada
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.,WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Mukai
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan
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8
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68Ga-HBED-CC-WL-12 PET in Diagnosing and Differentiating Pancreatic Cancers in Murine Models. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16010080. [PMID: 36678577 PMCID: PMC9865957 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) has been proven as an important technology to detect the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) non-invasively and in real time. As a PD-L1 inhibitor, small peptide WL12 has shown great potential in serving as a targeting molecule to guide PD-L1 blockade therapy in clinic. In this study, WL12 was modified with HBED-CC to label 68Ga in a modified procedure, and the biologic properties were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. 68Ga-HBED-CC-WL12 showed good stability in saline and can specifically target PD-L1-positive cells U87MG and PANC02. In PANC02-bearing mice, 68Ga-HBED-CC-WL12 showed fast permeation in subcutaneous tumors within 20 min (SUVmax 0.37) and was of higher uptake in 90 min (SUVmax 0.38). When compared with 18F-FDG, 68Ga-FAPI-04, and 68Ga-RGD, 68Ga-HBED-CC-WL12 also demonstrated great image quality and advantages in evaluating immune microenvironment. This study modified the 68Ga-labeling procedure of WL12 and obtained better biologic properties and further manifested the clinical potential of 68Ga-HBED-CC-WL12 for PET imaging and guiding for immunotherapy.
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9
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Zhang Y, Ding Y, Li N, Wang S, Zhou S, Li R, Yang H, Li W, Qu J. Noninvasive Imaging of Tumor PD-L1 Expression Using [ 99mTc]Tc-Labeled KN035 with SPECT/CT. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:690-700. [PMID: 36541699 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein-1/ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) checkpoint blockade is a major breakthrough in cancer therapy, but identifying patients likely to benefit from this therapy remains challenging. Immunohistochemistry is not informative about PD-L1 expression heterogeneity because of the limitations of invasive tissue collection. Noninvasive SPECT imaging is an approach to patient selection and therapeutic monitoring by assessing the PD-L1 status throughout the whole body. Here, we radiolabeled a single-domain PD-L1 antibody with technetium-99m (99mTc) for immune-SPECT imaging to evaluate its feasibility of detecting PD-L1 expression. The radiochemical purity of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-KN035 was 99.40 ± 0.11% with a specific activity of 2.68 MBq/μg. [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-KN035 displayed a high PD-L1 specificity both in vitro and in vivo and showed a high specific affinity for PD-L1 with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 31.04 nM. The binding of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-KN035 to H1975 cells (high expression of PD-L1) was much higher than to A549 cells (low expression of PD-L1). SPECT/CT imaging showed that H1975 tumors were visualized at 4 h post-injection and became clearer with time. However, mild tumor uptake was observed in A549 tumors and H1975 tumors of the blocking group at all time points. The uptake value of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-KN035 in H1975 tumors was increased continuously from 9.68 ± 0.91% ID/g at 4 h to 13.31 ± 2.23% ID/g at 24 h post-injection, which was higher than in A549 tumors with %ID/g of 4.59 ± 0.76 and 5.54 ± 0.28 at 4 and 24 h post-injection, respectively. These specific bindings were confirmed by blocking studies. [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-KN035 can be synthesized easily and specifically targeted to PD-L1 in the tumor environment, allowing PD-L1 expression assessment noninvasively and dynamically with SPECT/CT imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Ying Ding
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.,Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan 430022, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Si Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Ruping Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Wenliang Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
| | - Jinrong Qu
- Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou 450008, China
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Krutzek F, Kopka K, Stadlbauer S. Development of Radiotracers for Imaging of the PD-1/PD-L1 Axis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060747. [PMID: 35745666 PMCID: PMC9228425 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has emerged as a major treatment option for a variety of cancers. Among the immune checkpoints addressed, the programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 are the key targets for an ICI. PD-L1 has especially been proven to be a reproducible biomarker allowing for therapy decisions and monitoring therapy success. However, the expression of PD-L1 is not only heterogeneous among and within tumor lesions, but the expression is very dynamic and changes over time. Immunohistochemistry, which is the standard diagnostic tool, can only inadequately address these challenges. On the other hand, molecular imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provide the advantage of a whole-body scan and therefore fully address the issue of the heterogeneous expression of checkpoints over time. Here, we provide an overview of existing PET, SPECT, and optical imaging (OI) (radio)tracers for the imaging of the upregulation levels of PD-1 and PD-L1. We summarize the preclinical and clinical data of the different molecule classes of radiotracers and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages. At the end, we show possible future directions for developing new radiotracers for the imaging of PD-1/PD-L1 status in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Krutzek
- Department of Translational TME Ligands, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (F.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Department of Translational TME Ligands, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (F.K.); (K.K.)
- School of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technical University Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, University Cancer Cancer (UCC), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sven Stadlbauer
- Department of Translational TME Ligands, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden, Germany; (F.K.); (K.K.)
- Correspondence:
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