Glypican-3 targeted delivery of 89Zr and 90Y as a theranostic radionuclide platform for hepatocellular carcinoma

Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 12;11(1):3731. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82172-w.

Abstract

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a tumor associated antigen expressed by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This preclinical study evaluated the efficacy of a theranostic platform using a GPC3-targeting antibody αGPC3 conjugated to zirconium-89 (89Zr) and yttrium-90 (90Y) to identify, treat, and assess treatment response in a murine model of HCC. A murine orthotopic xenograft model of HCC was generated. Animals were injected with 89Zr-labeled αGPC3 and imaged with a small-animal positron emission/computerized tomography (PET/CT) imaging system (immuno-PET) before and 30 days after radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with 90Y-labeled αGPC3. Serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP), a marker of tumor burden, was measured. Gross tumor volume (GTV) and SUVmax by immuno-PET was measured using fixed intensity threshold and manual segmentation methods. Immuno-PET GTV measurements reliably quantified tumor burden prior to RIT, strongly correlating with serum AFP (R2 = 0.90). Serum AFP was significantly lower 30 days after RIT in 90Y-αGPC3 treated animals compared to those untreated (p = 0.01) or treated with non-radiolabeled αGPC3 (p = 0.02). Immuno-PET GTV measurements strongly correlated with tumor burden after RIT (R2 = 0.87), and GTV of animals treated with 90Y-αGPC3 was lower than in animals who did not receive treatment or were treated with non-radiolabeled αGPC3, although this only trended toward statistical significance. A theranostic platform utilizing GPC3 targeted 89Zr and 90Y effectively imaged, treated, and assessed response after radioimmunotherapy in a GPC3-expressing HCC xenograft model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Glypicans / immunology*
  • Glypicans / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods
  • Precision Medicine / methods
  • Radioimmunotherapy
  • Radioisotopes / pharmacology
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • Yttrium Radioisotopes / pharmacology
  • Zirconium / pharmacology

Substances

  • Glypicans
  • Radioisotopes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Yttrium Radioisotopes
  • Yttrium-90
  • Zirconium
  • Zirconium-89