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Bezverkhniaia E, Kanellopoulos P, Rosenström U, Tolmachev V, Orlova A. Influence of Molecular Design on the Tumor Targeting and Biodistribution of PSMA-Binding Tracers Labeled with Technetium-99m. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3615. [PMID: 38612427 PMCID: PMC11011439 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073615] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Previously, we designed the EuK-based PSMA ligand BQ0413 with an maE3 chelator for labeling with technetium-99m. It showed efficient tumor targeting, but our preclinical data and preliminary clinical results indicated that the renal excretion levels need to be decreased. We hypothesized that this could be achieved by a decrease in the ligand's total negative charge, achieved by substituting negatively charged glutamate residues in the chelator with glycine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tumor targeting and biodistribution of two new PSMA inhibitors, BQ0411 and BQ0412, compared to BQ0413. Conjugates were radiolabeled with Tc-99m and characterized in vitro, using PC3-pip cells, and in vivo, using NMRI and PC3-pip tumor-bearing mice. [99mTc]Tc-BQ0411 and [99mTc]Tc-BQ0412 demonstrated PSMA-specific binding to PC3-pip cells with picomolar affinity. The biodistribution pattern for the new conjugates was characterized by rapid excretion. The tumor uptake for [99mTc]Tc-BQ0411 was 1.6-fold higher compared to [99mTc]Tc-BQ0412 and [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413. [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 has demonstrated predominantly renal excretion, while the new conjugates underwent both renal and hepatobiliary excretion. In this study, we have demonstrated that in such small targeting ligands as PSMA-binding EuK-based pseudopeptides, the structural blocks that do not participate in binding could have a crucial role in tumor targeting and biodistribution. The presence of a glycine-based coupling linker in BQ0411 and BQ0413 seems to optimize biodistribution. In conclusion, the substitution of amino acids in the chelating sequence is a promising method to alter the biodistribution of [99mTc]Tc-labeled small-molecule PSMA inhibitors. Further improvement of the biodistribution properties of BQ0413 is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (U.R.)
| | - Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (U.R.)
| | - Ulrika Rosenström
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (U.R.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden;
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (U.R.)
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
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Bolzati C, Gobbi C, Ferro-Flores G, Turato S, Ocampo-Garcia B, Carpanese D, Marzano C, Spolaore B, Fracasso G, Rosato A, Meléndez-Alafort L. Development and Characterization of 99mTc-scFvD2B as a Potential Radiopharmaceutical for SPECT Imaging of Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:492. [PMID: 38203663 PMCID: PMC10779128 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010492] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated that the 177Lu-labeled single-chain variable fragment of an anti-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) IgG D2B antibody (scFvD2B) showed higher prostate cancer (PCa) cell uptake and tumor radiation doses compared to 177Lu-labeled Glu-ureide-based PSMA inhibitory peptides. To obtain a 99mTc-/177Lu-scFvD2B theranostic pair, this research aimed to synthesize and biochemically characterize a novel 99mTc-scFvD2B radiotracer. The scFvD2B-Tag and scFvD2B antibody fragments were produced and purified. Then, two HYNIC derivatives, HYNIC-Gly-Gly-Cys-NH2 (HYNIC-GGC) and succinimidyl-HYNIC (S-HYNIC), were used to conjugate the scFvD2B-Tag and scFvD2B isoforms, respectively. Subsequently, chemical characterization, immunoreactivity tests (affinity and specificity), radiochemical purity tests, stability tests in human serum, cellular uptake and internalization in LNCaP(+), PC3-PIP(++) or PC3(-) PCa cells of the resulting unlabeled HYNIC-scFvD2B conjugates (HscFv) and 99mTc-HscFv agents were performed. The results showed that incorporating HYNIC as a chelator did not affect the affinity, specificity or stability of scFvD2B. After purification, the radiochemical purity of 99mTc-HscFv radiotracers was greater than 95%. A two-sample t-test of 99mTc-HscFv1 and 99mTc-HscFv1 uptake in PC3-PIP vs. PC3 showed a p-value < 0.001, indicating that the PSMA receptor interaction of 99mTc-HscFv agents was statistically significantly higher in PSMA-positive cells than in the negative controls. In conclusion, the results of this research warrant further preclinical studies to determine whether the in vivo pharmacokinetics and tumor uptake of 99mTc-HscFv still offer sufficient advantages over HYNIC-conjugated peptides to be considered for SPECT/PSMA imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Bolzati
- Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Energy Technologies, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; (C.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Carolina Gobbi
- Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Energy Technologies, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; (C.B.); (C.G.)
| | - Guillermina Ferro-Flores
- Laboratorio Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Radiofármacos, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca S/N. La Marquesa, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (G.F.-F.); (B.O.-G.)
| | - Sofia Turato
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35138 Padova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.R.)
| | - Blanca Ocampo-Garcia
- Laboratorio Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo de Radiofármacos, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca S/N. La Marquesa, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico; (G.F.-F.); (B.O.-G.)
| | - Debora Carpanese
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35138 Padova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.R.)
| | - Cristina Marzano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (B.S.)
| | - Barbara Spolaore
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Marzolo 5, 35131 Padova, Italy; (C.M.); (B.S.)
| | - Giulio Fracasso
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Rosato
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35138 Padova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.R.)
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche Oncologiche e Gastroenterologiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Gattamelata 64, 35138 Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Meléndez-Alafort
- Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35138 Padova, Italy; (S.T.); (A.R.)
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Bezverkhniaia E, Kanellopoulos P, Abouzayed A, Larkina M, Oroujeni M, Vorobyeva A, Rosenström U, Tolmachev V, Orlova A. Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel High-Affinity Radioligand [ 99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17391. [PMID: 38139219 PMCID: PMC10743726 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417391] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Radionuclide imaging using radiolabeled inhibitors of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) can be used for the staging of prostate cancer. Previously, we optimized the Glu-urea-Lys binding moiety using a linker structure containing 2-napththyl-L-alanine and L-tyrosine. We have now designed a molecule that contains mercaptoacetyl-triglutamate chelator for labeling with Tc-99m (designated as BQ0413). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the imaging properties of [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413. PSMA-transfected PC3-pip cells were used to evaluate the specificity and affinity of [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 binding in vitro. PC3-pip tumor-bearing BALB/C nu/nu mice were used as an in vivo model. [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 bound specifically to PC3-pip cells with an affinity of 33 ± 15 pM. In tumor-bearing mice, the tumor uptake of [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 (38 ± 6 %IA/g in PC3-pip 3 h after the injection of 40 pmol) was dependent on PSMA expression (3 ± 2 %IA/g and 0.9 ± 0.3 %IA/g in PSMA-negative PC-3 and SKOV-3 tumors, respectively). We show that both unlabeled BQ0413 and the commonly used binder PSMA-11 enable the blocking of [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 uptake in normal PSMA-expressing tissues without blocking the uptake in tumors. This resulted in an appreciable increase in tumor-to-organ ratios. At the same injected mass (5 nmol), the use of BQ0413 was more efficient in suppressing renal uptake than the use of PSMA-11. In conclusion, [99mTc]Tc-BQ0413 is a promising probe for the visualization of PSMA-positive lesions using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Bezverkhniaia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (A.A.); (U.R.)
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634009 Tomsk, Russia;
- Scientific and Research Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (A.A.); (U.R.)
| | - Ayman Abouzayed
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (A.A.); (U.R.)
| | - Mariia Larkina
- Research Centrum for Oncotheranostics, Research School of Chemistry and Applied Biomedical Sciences, Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634009 Tomsk, Russia;
- Scientific and Research Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, Siberian State Medical University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (V.T.)
- Affibody AB, 171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Anzhelika Vorobyeva
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Ulrika Rosenström
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (A.A.); (U.R.)
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden; (M.O.); (A.V.); (V.T.)
| | - Anna Orlova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden; (E.B.); (P.K.); (A.A.); (U.R.)
- Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
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Lankoff A, Czerwińska M, Kruszewski M. Nanoparticle-Based Radioconjugates for Targeted Imaging and Therapy of Prostate Cancer. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28104122. [PMID: 37241862 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28104122] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in men worldwide and the fifth leading cause of death by cancer. Although most patients initially benefit from therapy, many of them will progress to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, which still remains incurable. The significant mortality and morbidity rate associated with the progression of the disease results mainly from a lack of specific and sensitive prostate cancer screening systems, identification of the disease at mature stages, and failure of anticancer therapy. To overcome the limitations of conventional imaging and therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer, various types of nanoparticles have been designed and synthesized to selectively target prostate cancer cells without causing toxic side effects to healthy organs. The purpose of this review is to briefly discuss the selection criteria of suitable nanoparticles, ligands, radionuclides, and radiolabelling strategies for the development of nanoparticle-based radioconjugates for targeted imaging and therapy of prostate cancer and to evaluate progress in the field, focusing attention on their design, specificity, and potential for detection and/or therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lankoff
- Centre for Radiobiology and Biological Dosimetry, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Medical Biology, Institute of Biology, Jan Kochanowski University, Uniwersytecka 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland
| | - Malwina Czerwińska
- Department of Dietetics, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), 159c Nowoursynowska, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Kruszewski
- Centre for Radiobiology and Biological Dosimetry, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Translational Research, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
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