Comparative Evaluation of Radioiodine and Technetium-Labeled DARPin 9_29 for Radionuclide Molecular Imaging of HER2 Expression in Malignant Tumors

Contrast Media Mol Imaging. 2018 Jun 6:2018:6930425. doi: 10.1155/2018/6930425. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

High expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast and gastroesophageal carcinomas is a predictive biomarker for treatment using HER2-targeted therapeutics (antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab, antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab DM1, and tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib). Radionuclide molecular imaging of HER2 expression might permit stratification of patients for HER2-targeting therapies. In this study, we evaluated a new HER2-imaging probe based on the designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) 9_29. DARPin 9_29 was labeled with iodine-125 by direct radioiodination and with [99mTc]Tc(CO)3 using the C-terminal hexahistidine tag. DARPin 9_29 preserved high specificity and affinity of binding to HER2-expressing cells after labeling. Uptake of [125I]I-DARPin 9_29 and [99mTc]Tc(CO)3-DARPin 9_29 in HER2-positive SKOV-3 xenografts in mice at 6 h after injection was 3.4 ± 0.7 %ID/g and 2.9 ± 0.7 %ID/g, respectively. This was significantly (p < 0.00005) higher than the uptake of the same probes in HER2-negative Ramos lymphoma xenografts, 0.22 ± 0.09 %ID/g and 0.30 ± 0.05 %ID/g, respectively. Retention of [125I]I-DARPin 9_29 in the lung, liver, spleen, and kidneys was appreciably lower compared with [99mTc]Tc(CO)3-DARPin 9_29, which resulted in significantly (p < 0.05) higher tumor-to-organ ratios. The biodistribution data were confirmed by SPECT/CT imaging. In conclusion, radioiodine is a preferable label for DARPin 9_29.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ankyrin Repeat
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Esophagogastric Junction / pathology
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes* / pharmacokinetics
  • Mice
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Molecular Imaging / standards
  • Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / standards*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / analysis*
  • Technetium* / pharmacokinetics
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Technetium
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Iodine-125