RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 In Vitro Analysis and In Vivo Tumor Targeting of a Humanized, Grafted Nanobody in Mice Using Pinhole SPECT/Micro-CT JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine JO J Nucl Med FD Society of Nuclear Medicine SP 1099 OP 1106 DO 10.2967/jnumed.109.069823 VO 51 IS 7 A1 Ilse Vaneycken A1 Jochen Govaert A1 Cécile Vincke A1 Vicky Caveliers A1 Tony Lahoutte A1 Patrick De Baetselier A1 Geert Raes A1 Axel Bossuyt A1 Serge Muyldermans A1 Nick Devoogdt YR 2010 UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/51/7/1099.abstract AB Nanobodies are a novel type of immunoglobulinlike, antigen-binding protein with beneficial pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic properties that are ideally suited to targeting cellular antigens for molecular imaging or therapeutic purposes. However, because of their camelid, nonhuman origin, the possible immunogenicity of Nanobodies when used in the clinic is a concern. Here we present a new strategy to quickly generate humanized Nanobodies for molecular imaging purposes. Methods: We genetically grafted the antigen-binding loops of NbCEA5, a Nanobody with specificity for the colon carcinoma marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), onto the framework of a humanized Nanobody scaffold. This scaffold has been previously characterized in our laboratory as a stable Nanobody that can serve as a universal loop acceptor for antigen-binding loops from donor Nanobodies and has been additionally mutated at about 10 crucial surface-exposed sites to resemble the sequence of human variable immunoglobulin domains. The 3 recombinant Nanobodies (NbCEA5, humanized scaffold, and humanized CEA5 graft) were produced in bacteria and purified. Unlabeled and 99mTc-labeled Nanobodies were biochemically characterized in vitro and tested as probes for SPECT/CT of xenografted tumors. Results: The success of loop-grafting was confirmed by comparing these Nanobodies for their capacity to recognize soluble CEA protein in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by surface plasmon resonance and to bind to CEA-positive LS174T colon carcinoma cells and CEA-transfected but not untransfected Chinese hamster ovary cells in flow cytometry. Specificity of binding was confirmed by competition studies. All Nanobodies were heat-stable, could be efficiently labeled with 99mTc, and recognized both soluble and membrane-bound CEA protein in binding studies. Finally, biodistribution experiments were performed with intravenously injected 99mTc-labeled Nanobodies in LS174T tumor–bearing mice using pinhole SPECT/micro-CT. These in vivo experiments revealed specificity of tumor targeting and rapid renal clearance for all Nanobodies, with low signals in all organs besides the kidneys. Conclusion: This study shows the potency of antigen-binding loop-grafting to efficiently generate humanized Nanobodies that retain their targeting capacities for noninvasive in vivo imaging of tumors.