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Ahmadi M, Ritter CA, von Woedtke T, Bekeschus S, Wende K. Package delivered: folate receptor-mediated transporters in cancer therapy and diagnosis. Chem Sci 2024; 15:1966-2006. [PMID: 38332833 PMCID: PMC10848714 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc05539f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Neoplasias pose a significant threat to aging society, underscoring the urgent need to overcome the limitations of traditional chemotherapy through pioneering strategies. Targeted drug delivery is an evolving frontier in cancer therapy, aiming to enhance treatment efficacy while mitigating undesirable side effects. One promising avenue utilizes cell membrane receptors like the folate receptor to guide drug transporters precisely to malignant cells. Based on the cellular folate receptor as a cancer cell hallmark, targeted nanocarriers and small molecule-drug conjugates have been developed that comprise different (bio) chemistries and/or mechanical properties with individual advantages and challenges. Such modern folic acid-conjugated stimuli-responsive drug transporters provide systemic drug delivery and controlled release, enabling reduced dosages, circumvention of drug resistance, and diminished adverse effects. Since the drug transporters' structure-based de novo design is increasingly relevant for precision cancer remediation and diagnosis, this review seeks to collect and debate the recent approaches to deliver therapeutics or diagnostics based on folic acid conjugated Trojan Horses and to facilitate the understanding of the relevant chemistry and biochemical pathways. Focusing exemplarily on brain and breast cancer, recent advances spanning 2017 to 2023 in conjugated nanocarriers and small molecule drug conjugates were considered, evaluating the chemical and biological aspects in order to improve accessibility to the field and to bridge chemical and biomedical points of view ultimately guiding future research in FR-targeted cancer therapy and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Ahmadi
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Center for Innovation Competence (ZIK) Plasmatis Felix Hausdorff-Str. 2 17489 Greifswald Germany
| | - Christoph A Ritter
- Institute of Pharmacy, Section Clinical Pharmacy, University of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Thomas von Woedtke
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Center for Innovation Competence (ZIK) Plasmatis Felix Hausdorff-Str. 2 17489 Greifswald Germany
- Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Greifswald University Medical Center Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße 17475 Greifswald Germany
| | - Sander Bekeschus
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Center for Innovation Competence (ZIK) Plasmatis Felix Hausdorff-Str. 2 17489 Greifswald Germany
- Clinic and Policlinic for Dermatology and Venereology, Rostock University Medical Center Strempelstr. 13 18057 Rostock Germany
| | - Kristian Wende
- Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Center for Innovation Competence (ZIK) Plasmatis Felix Hausdorff-Str. 2 17489 Greifswald Germany
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Tao Y, Jakobsson V, Chen X, Zhang J. Exploiting Albumin as a Versatile Carrier for Cancer Theranostics. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2403-2415. [PMID: 37625245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Tao
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Vivianne Jakobsson
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Department of Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
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Busslinger SD, Becker AE, Vaccarin C, Deberle LM, Renz ML, Groehn V, Schibli R, Müller C. Investigations Using Albumin Binders to Modify the Tissue Distribution Profile of Radiopharmaceuticals Exemplified with Folate Radioconjugates. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4259. [PMID: 37686538 PMCID: PMC10486429 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introducing an albumin-binding entity into otherwise short-lived radiopharmaceuticals can be an effective means to improve their pharmacokinetic properties due to enhanced blood residence time. In the current study, DOTA-derivatized albumin binders based on 4-(p-iodophenyl)butanoate (DOTA-ALB-1 and DOTA-ALB-3) and 5-(p-iodophenyl)pentanoate entities (DOTA-ALB-24 and DOTA-ALB-25) without and with a hydrophobic 4-(aminomethyl)benzoic acid (AMBA) linker unit, respectively, were synthesized and labeled with lutetium-177 for in vitro and in vivo comparison. Overall, [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-ALB-1 demonstrated ~3-fold stronger in vitro albumin-binding affinity and a longer blood residence time (T50%IA ~8 h) than [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-ALB-24 (T50%IA ~0.8 h). Introducing an AMBA linker enhanced the albumin-binding affinity, resulting in a T50%IA of ~24 h for [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-ALB-3 and ~2 h for [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-ALB-25. The same albumin binders without or with the AMBA linker were incorporated into 6R- and 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolate-based DOTA-conjugates (177Lu-RedFols). Biodistribution studies in mice performed with both diastereoisomers of [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-1 and [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-3, which comprised the 4-(p-iodophenyl)butanoate moiety, demonstrated a slower accumulation in KB tumors than those of [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-24 and [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-25 with the 5-(p-iodophenyl)pentanoate entity. In all cases, the tumor uptake was high (30-45% IA/g) 24 h after injection. Both diastereoisomers of [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-1 and [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-3 demonstrated high blood retention (3.8-8.7% IA/g, 24 h p.i.) and a 2- to 4-fold lower kidney uptake than the corresponding diastereoisomers of [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-24 and [177Lu]Lu-RedFol-25, which were more rapidly cleared from the blood (<0.2% IA/g, 24 h after injection). Kidney retention of the 6S-diastereoisomers of all 177Lu-RedFols was consistently higher than that of the respective 6R-diastereoisomers, irrespective of the albumin binder and linker unit used. It was demonstrated that the blood clearance data obtained with 177Lu-DOTA-ALBs had predictive value for the blood retention times of the respective folate radioconjugates. The use of these albumin-binding entities without or with an AMBA linker may serve for fine-tuning the blood retention of folate radioconjugates and also other radiopharmaceuticals and, hence, optimize their tissue distribution profiles. Dosimetry estimations based on patient data obtained with one of the most promising folate radioconjugates will be crucial to identify the dose-limiting organ, which will allow for selecting the most suitable folate radioconjugate for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D. Busslinger
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Anna E. Becker
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Christian Vaccarin
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Luisa M. Deberle
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
| | - Marie-Luise Renz
- Merck & Cie KmG, Im Laternenacker 5, 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland; (M.-L.R.); (V.G.)
| | - Viola Groehn
- Merck & Cie KmG, Im Laternenacker 5, 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland; (M.-L.R.); (V.G.)
| | - Roger Schibli
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Müller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland; (S.D.B.); (A.E.B.); (C.V.); (L.M.D.); (R.S.)
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Folate-based radiotracers for nuclear imaging and radionuclide therapy. Coord Chem Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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5
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Benešová M, Guzik P, Deberle LM, Busslinger SD, Landolt T, Schibli R, Müller C. Design and Evaluation of Novel Albumin-Binding Folate Radioconjugates: Systematic Approach of Varying the Linker Entities. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:963-973. [PMID: 35192367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Tumor targeting using folate radioconjugates is a promising strategy for theragnostics of folate receptor-positive tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of structural modifications of folate radioconjugates on their pharmacokinetic properties. Four novel folate radioconjugates ([177Lu]Lu-OxFol-2, [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3, [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-4, and [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-5), modified with a lipophilic or hydrophilic linker entity in close proximity to the albumin-binding 4-(p-iodophenyl)butanoate entity or the DOTA chelator, respectively, were designed and evaluated for comparison with the previously developed [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1. A hydrophobic 4-(aminomethyl)benzoic acid linker, incorporated in close proximity to the 4-(p-iodophenyl)butanoate entity, enhanced the albumin-binding properties (relative affinity 7.3) of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3 as compared to those of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1 (relative affinity set as 1.0). On the other hand, a hydrophilic d-glutamic acid (d-Glu) linker entity used in [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-2 compromised the albumin-binding properties. [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-4 and [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-5, in which the respective linker entities were incorporated adjacent to the DOTA chelator, showed similar albumin-binding properties (0.6 and 1.0, respectively) as [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1. Biodistribution studies in KB tumor-bearing nude mice revealed twofold higher tumor-to-kidney ratios at 4 h and 24 h after injection of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3 (∼1.2) than after injection of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1 (∼0.6). The tumor-to-kidney ratios of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-2 were, however, much lower (∼0.2) due to the high kidney retention of this radioconjugate. The tumor-to-kidney ratios of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-5 were only slightly increased (∼0.9), and the ratios for [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-4 (∼0.7) were in the same range as for [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1. SPECT/CT imaging studies demonstrated similar tumor uptake of all radioconjugates but a clearly improved tumor-to-kidney ratio for [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3 as compared to that for [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the linker entity in close proximity to the 4-(p-iodophenyl)butanoate entity affects the radioconjugate's pharmacokinetic profile considerably due to the altered affinity to albumin. Changes in the linker entity, which connects the DOTA chelator with the folate molecule, do not have a major impact on the radioconjugate's tissue distribution profile, however. As a result of these findings, [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3 had a comparable therapeutic effect to that of [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1 but appeared advantageous in preventing kidney damage. Provided that the kidneys will present the dose-limiting organs in patients, [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-3 would be the preferred candidate for a clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Benešová
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrycja Guzik
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Luisa M Deberle
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Sarah D Busslinger
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Tanja Landolt
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Roger Schibli
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Müller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Martín-Sabroso C, Torres-Suárez AI, Alonso-González M, Fernández-Carballido A, Fraguas-Sánchez AI. Active Targeted Nanoformulations via Folate Receptors: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:14. [PMID: 35056911 PMCID: PMC8781617 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In normal tissues, the expression of folate receptors is low and limited to cells that are important for embryonic development or for folate reabsorption. However, in several pathological conditions some cells, such as cancer cells and activated macrophages, overexpress folate receptors (FRs). This overexpression makes them a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases to obtain a selective delivery of drugs at altered cells level, and thus to improve the therapeutic efficacy and decrease the systemic toxicity of the pharmacological treatments. Two strategies have been used to achieve this folate receptor targeting: (i) the use of ligands with high affinity to FRs (e.g., folic acid or anti-FRs monoclonal antibodies) linked to the therapeutic agents or (ii) the use of nanocarriers whose surface is decorated with these ligands and in which the drug is encapsulated. This manuscript analyzes the use of FRs as a target to develop new therapeutic tools in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases with an emphasis on the nanoformulations that have been developed for both therapeutic and imaging purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Martín-Sabroso
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.M.-S.); (A.I.T.-S.); (M.A.-G.); (A.F.-C.)
- Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Torres-Suárez
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.M.-S.); (A.I.T.-S.); (M.A.-G.); (A.F.-C.)
- Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Alonso-González
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.M.-S.); (A.I.T.-S.); (M.A.-G.); (A.F.-C.)
| | - Ana Fernández-Carballido
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.M.-S.); (A.I.T.-S.); (M.A.-G.); (A.F.-C.)
- Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Fraguas-Sánchez
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Food Technology, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.M.-S.); (A.I.T.-S.); (M.A.-G.); (A.F.-C.)
- Institute of Industrial Pharmacy, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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7
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Borgna F, Haller S, Rodriguez JMM, Ginj M, Grundler PV, Zeevaart JR, Köster U, Schibli R, van der Meulen NP, Müller C. Combination of terbium-161 with somatostatin receptor antagonists-a potential paradigm shift for the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 49:1113-1126. [PMID: 34625828 PMCID: PMC8921065 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05564-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The β¯-emitting terbium-161 also emits conversion and Auger electrons, which are believed to be effective in killing single cancer cells. Terbium-161 was applied with somatostatin receptor (SSTR) agonists that localize in the cytoplasm (DOTATOC) and cellular nucleus (DOTATOC-NLS) or with a SSTR antagonist that localizes at the cell membrane (DOTA-LM3). The aim was to identify the most favorable peptide/terbium-161 combination for the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). METHODS The capability of the 161Tb- and 177Lu-labeled somatostatin (SST) analogues to reduce viability and survival of SSTR-positive AR42J tumor cells was investigated in vitro. The radiopeptides' tissue distribution profiles were assessed in tumor-bearing mice. The efficacy of terbium-161 compared to lutetium-177 was investigated in therapy studies in mice using DOTATOC or DOTA-LM3, respectively. RESULTS In vitro, [161Tb]Tb-DOTA-LM3 was 102-fold more potent than [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-LM3; however, 161Tb-labeled DOTATOC and DOTATOC-NLS were only 4- to fivefold more effective inhibiting tumor cell viability than their 177Lu-labeled counterparts. This result was confirmed in vivo and demonstrated that [161Tb]Tb-DOTA-LM3 was significantly more effective in delaying tumor growth than [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-LM3, thereby, prolonging survival of the mice. A therapeutic advantage of terbium-161 over lutetium-177 was also manifest when applied with DOTATOC. Since the nuclear localizing sequence (NLS) compromised the in vivo tissue distribution of DOTATOC-NLS, it was not used for therapy. CONCLUSION The use of membrane-localizing DOTA-LM3 was beneficial and profited from the short-ranged electrons emitted by terbium-161. Based on these preclinical data, [161Tb]Tb-DOTA-LM3 may outperform the clinically employed [177Lu]Lu-DOTATOC for the treatment of patients with NENs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Borgna
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Haller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Josep M Monné Rodriguez
- Laboratory for Animal Model Pathology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mihaela Ginj
- The Joint Department of Medical Imaging, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth St, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Pascal V Grundler
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Jan Rijn Zeevaart
- South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Pelindaba, Brits, 0240, South Africa
| | - Ulli Köster
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 38042, Grenoble, France
| | - Roger Schibli
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas P van der Meulen
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Radiochemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Müller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen-PSI, Switzerland. .,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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8
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Deberle LM, Benešová M, Becker AE, Ratz M, Guzik P, Schibli R, Müller C. Novel Synthetic Strategies Enable the Efficient Development of Folate Conjugates for Cancer Radiotheranostics. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:1617-1628. [PMID: 34251183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The folate receptor (FR) is an interesting target for radiotheranostics due to its overexpression in several tumor types. The progress in developing novel folate radioconjugates is, however, slow due to the synthetic challenges that folate chemistry presents. The goal of this study was, thus, to establish versatile solid-phase synthetic strategies for a convenient preparation of novel folate conjugates. Two approaches were established based on an orthogonal fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protection strategy to enable a modular buildup of an albumin-binding DOTA conjugate (known as OxFol-1) using folic acid (oxidized folate version) as a targeting agent. The main difference between the two approaches was the sequence of conjugating the single structural units. The approach that introduced the folate entity as the last unit appeared particularly useful for the preparation of conjugates based on 6R- or 6S-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF; a reduced folate version) as targeting entity. Three types of folate conjugates were synthesized either with a p-iodophenyl-based albumin binder (OxFol-1, 6R-RedFol-1, and 6S-RedFol-1) or without an albumin-binding entity (OxFol-14, 6R-RedFol-14, and 6S-RedFol-14). All six conjugates were obtained with high chemical purity (>98%) after 9-13 synthesis steps and a single final HPLC purification. Radiolabeling with lutetium-177 was feasible at high molar activity, and the resulting radioconjugates were stable over at least 24 h. Biodistribution and SPECT/CT imaging studies confirmed the favorable effect of an albumin-binding entity to increase the tumor uptake and reduce kidney retention of folate radioconjugates. The increased tumor-to-kidney ratios obtained with [177Lu]Lu-6R-RedFol-1 and [177Lu]Lu-6S-RedFol-1 as compared to [177Lu]Lu-OxFol-1 indicated that 5-MTHF is the preferred FR-targeting agent for albumin-binding radioconjugates. This was, however, not the case for folate radioconjugates without an albumin binder. Thanks to the established synthesis strategy, the preparation of further folate radioconjugates will be facilitated, potentially enabling the optimization of the tissue distribution characteristics even more.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa M Deberle
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Martina Benešová
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna E Becker
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Ratz
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Patrycja Guzik
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland
| | - Roger Schibli
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Müller
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences ETH-PSI-USZ, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen-PSI, Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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