Photoradiosynthesis of 68Ga-Labeled HBED-CC-Azepin-MetMAb for Immuno-PET of c-MET Receptors

Bioconjug Chem. 2019 Jun 19;30(6):1814-1820. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00342. Epub 2019 Jun 3.

Abstract

In an alternative approach for radiotracer design, a photoactivatable HBED-CC-PEG3-ArN3 chelate was synthesized and photoconjugated to the anti-c-MET antibody MetMAb (onartuzumab). Photoconjugation gave the functionalized protein HBED-CC-azepin-MetMAb with a photochemical conversion of 18.5 ± 0.5% ( n = 2) which was then radiolabeled with 68Ga3+ ions. The purified and formulated [68Ga]GaHBED-CC-azepin-MetMAb radiotracer was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Standard stability tests and cellular binding assays confirmed that the radiotracer remained radiochemically pure and immunoreactive after photochemical conjugation. [68Ga]GaHBED-CC-azepin-MetMAb showed specific uptake in c-MET-positive MKN-45 (high-expression) and PC-3 (low/moderate expression) tumors with tumor-associated activities at 6 h post-administration of 10.33 ± 1.27 ( n = 5) and 3.88 ± 1.27 ( n = 3) %ID/g, respectively. In competitive blocking experiments, MKN-45 tumor uptake was reduced by approximately 55% ( P-value <0.001 compared with nonblocked experiments) confirming specific radiotracer binding to c-MET in vivo. Radiochemical, cellular, and in vivo experiments confirmed that the photoradiochemical approach is a viable tool to synthesize new radiotracers for immuno-PET.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry*
  • Azepines / chemistry*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chelating Agents / chemistry
  • Edetic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Edetic Acid / chemistry
  • Edetic Acid / pharmacokinetics
  • Gallium Radioisotopes / chemistry*
  • Gallium Radioisotopes / pharmacokinetics
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / metabolism*
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Azepines
  • Chelating Agents
  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • N,N'-bis(2-hydroxy-5-(ethylene-beta-carboxy)benzyl)ethylenediamine N,N'-diacetic acid
  • Edetic Acid
  • MET protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met
  • onartuzumab