Abstract
Simple SummaryMonoclonal antibodies (IgG) are excellent probes for targeting cell surface receptors for imaging and therapeutic applications. These theranostic agents are often developed by randomly conjugating radioisotopes/drugs/chelators to the primary amine of lysine or the sulfhydryl groups of cysteine on the antibody. Random conjugation often alters the properties of the antibody. We have site-specifically radiolabeled nimotuzumab an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody with 89Zr and 225Ac using SpyTag: ∆N-SpyCatcher for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and alpha particle radiotherapy, and evaluated these agents in a model of EGFR-positive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher constructs showed improved binding in vitro compared with randomly conjugated constructs. 89Zr-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher specifically delineated EGFR-positive xenograft in vivo using microPET/CT imaging. Compared with control treatment groups, 225Ac-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher more than doubled the survival of mice bearing EGFR-positive MDA-MB-231 TNBC xenograft. This work highlights a facile method to site-specifically radiolabel antibodies using SpyTag: ∆N-SpyCatcher.To develop imaging and therapeutic agents, antibodies are often conjugated randomly to a chelator/radioisotope or drug using a primary amine (NH2) of lysine or sulfhydryl (SH) of cysteine. Random conjugation to NH2 or SH groups can require extreme conditions and may affect target recognition/binding and must therefore be tested. In the present study, nimotuzumab was site-specifically labeled using ∆N-SpyCatcher/SpyTag with different chelators and radiometals. Nimotuzumab is a well-tolerated anti-EGFR antibody with low skin toxicities. First, ΔN-SpyCatcher was reduced using tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP), which was followed by desferoxamine-maleimide (DFO-mal) conjugation to yield a reactive ΔN-SpyCatcher-DFO. The ΔN-SpyCatcher-DFO was reacted with nimotuzumab-SpyTag to obtain stable nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher-DFO. Radiolabeling was performed with 89Zr, and the conjugate was used for the in vivo microPET imaging of EGFR-positive MDA-MB-468 xenografts. Similarly, ∆N-SpyCatcher was conjugated to an eighteen-membered macrocyclic chelator macropa-maleimide and used to radiolabel nimotuzumab-SpyTag with actinium-225 (225Ac) for in vivo radiotherapy studies. All constructs were characterized using biolayer interferometry, flow cytometry, radioligand binding assays, HPLC, and bioanalyzer. MicroPET/CT imaging showed a good tumor uptake of 89Zr-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher with 6.0 ± 0.6%IA/cc (n = 3) at 48 h post injection. The EC50 of 225Ac-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher and 225Ac-control-IgG-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher against an EGFR-positive cell-line (MDA-MB-468) was 3.7 ± 3.3 Bq/mL (0.04 ± 0.03 nM) and 18.5 ± 4.4 Bq/mL (0.2 ± 0.04 nM), respectively. In mice bearing MDA-MB-468 EGFR-positive xenografts, 225Ac-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher significantly (p = 0.0017) prolonged the survival of mice (64 days) compared to 225Ac-control IgG (28.5 days), nimotuzumab (28.5 days), or PBS-treated mice (30 days). The results showed that the conjugation and labeling using SpyTag/∆N-SpyCatcher to nimotuzumab did not significantly (p > 0.05) alter the receptor binding of nimotuzumab compared with a non-specific conjugation approach. 225Ac-nimotuzumab-SpyTag-∆N-SpyCatcher was effective in vitro and in an EGFR-positive triple negative breast cancer xenograft model.
Highlights
Epidermal growth factor receptor I (EGFR) is overexpressed in all aggressive cancers of epithelial origin, including squamous cell head and neck (90–100%), glioma (90–100%), non-small cell lung (75–90%), colorectal (80–85%), breast (20–30%), and cervical cancers [1,2,3,4,5]
IgG-SpyTag fusions expressed ~2-fold worse than their non-fusion counterparts under these conditions, resulting in yields of 5 ± 1 mg/mL for a control non-fusion counterparts under these conditions, resulting in yields of 5 ± 1 mg/mL for a control antianti-maltose binding protein IgG1 (n = 2) and 4 ± 1 mg/L (n = 5) for nimotuzumab, an anti-EGFR IgG1
We examined the effects of molar ratio on the percentage of heavy chain converted, since it was not known if the steric hindrance from the IgG or other factors would require an excess of ∆N-SpyCatcher-DFO to drive the reaction to completion
Summary
Epidermal growth factor receptor I (EGFR) is overexpressed in all aggressive cancers of epithelial origin, including squamous cell head and neck (90–100%), glioma (90–100%), non-small cell lung (75–90%), colorectal (80–85%), breast (20–30%), and cervical cancers [1,2,3,4,5]. Site-specific conjugation often preserves the properties of the antibody/probe and results in optimal in vivo characteristics [16], and is important when high labeling ratios are desired [17]. We report the use of the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system to site- label monoclonal antibody nimotuzumab for PET imaging (using 89 Zr) and alpha particle therapy (using 225 Ac). Application, nimotuzumab-SpyTag for microPET/CT imaging in EGFR-positive a mouse model of EGFR-positive. In both cases, SpyCatcher conjugates are prepared and nimotuzumab-SpyTag is labeled with Ac for radiotherapy. Site-specific labeling does not alter the affinity and demonstrates the are prepared and conjugated to the antibody. Site-specific labeling does not alter the affinity and use of the SpyTag/SpyCatcher (Scheme 1A,B) as(Scheme a simple1A,B).
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