NOVEL ALKYLPHOSPHOCHOLINE ANALOGS FOR BROAD SPECTRUM CANCER IMAGING AND THERAPY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We present in vitro and in vivo imaging and therapeutic studies using a novel alkylphosphocholine (APC)-based molecular scaffold (CLR1404) that combines selective targeting of cancer (including cancer stem cells) with broad-spectrum activity against many different cancer types. CLR1404 APC analogs were created to exploit the finding that phospholipid ethers selectively accumulate in many cancers versus normal cells. METHODS: Depending on the iodine isotope used, radioiodinated CLR1404 is either a PET imaging (124I) or molecular radiotherapeutic agent (131I), with fluorescence analogs created by replacing iodide with various fluorophores. Standard tissue culture, xenograft and molecular biology protocols were used for these studies. RESULTS: CLR1404 displayed preferential uptake and retention in cancer and cancer stem cells compared to normal cells in vitro and in vivo. After 24 hours, selective uptake of fluorescent or radioiodinated CLR1404 analogs by multiple human cancer cell lines in vitro compared to patient-matched normal human fibroblasts was observed (2.3-2.8x). CLR1404 showed highly specific labeling of both human patient-matched glioblastoma stem cells and serum-cultured glioblastoma cells (3x over minimal labeling of control normal human astrocytes and neural stem cells). Lipid raft disruption reduced in vitro CLR1404 analog uptake.In vivo, CLR1404 analogs displayed prolonged tumor-selective retention in 55 different rodent and human cancer models (including triple-negative breast, lung, pancreatic, colorectal, prostate, renal, melanoma, GBM). Tumor accumulation was seen by 24 hours with continued normal tissue clearance between 48-120 hours. In vivo cancer stem cell labeling was also demonstrated. CLR1404 analogs do not visualize inflammatory or premalignant lesions (unlike currently used 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose (FDG)-PET tumor imaging).131I-CLR1404 also displayed therapeutic efficacy (tumor growth suppression, survival extension) especially in renal, colorectal, ovarian, prostate and triple-negative breast cancer, GBM models. CONCLUSIONS: The novel APC CLR1404 analogs potentially offer a powerful multi- modality strategy to detect, treat and follow primary and metastatic cancers in humans. Initial clinical trials strongly suggest CLR1404 has similar broad tumor targeting and retention properties in animals and humans. The pathological correlation between CLR1404 imaging and GBM is being tested in an ongoing multi-institutional Phase II clinical trial. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Preclinical Experimental Therapeutics.