Affibody-mediated PET imaging of HER3 expression in malignant tumours

Sci Rep. 2015 Oct 19:5:15226. doi: 10.1038/srep15226.

Abstract

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) is involved in the progression of various cancers and in resistance to therapies targeting the HER family. In vivo imaging of HER3 expression would enable patient stratification for anti-HER3 immunotherapy. Key challenges with HER3-targeting are the relatively low expression in HER3-positive tumours and HER3 expression in normal tissues. The use of positron-emission tomography (PET) provides advantages of high resolution, sensitivity and quantification accuracy compared to SPECT. Affibody molecules, imaging probes based on a non-immunoglobulin scaffold, provide high imaging contrast shortly after injection. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility of PET imaging of HER3 expression using (68)Ga-labeled affibody molecules. The anti-HER3 affibody molecule HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA was successfully labelled with (68)Ga with high yield, purity and stability. The agent bound specifically to HER3-expressing cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. At 3 h pi, uptake of (68)Ga-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA was significantly higher in xenografts with high HER3 expression (BT474, BxPC-3) than in xenografts with low HER3 expression (A431). In xenografts with high expression, tumour-to-blood ratios were >20, tumour-to-muscle >15, and tumour-to-bone >7. HER3-positive xenografts were visualised using microPET 3 h pi. In conclusion, PET imaging of HER3 expression is feasible using (68)Ga-HEHEHE-Z08698-NOTA shortly after administration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • Isotope Labeling
  • Molecular Probes* / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptor, ErbB-3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / metabolism
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Gallium Radioisotopes
  • Molecular Probes
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Receptor, ErbB-3