Improved monoclonal antibody tumor/background ratios with exchange transfusions

Blood exchange transfusions were performed in nude rats with subcutaneous HTB77 human ovarian carcinoma xenografts in an attempt to improve specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) tumor/non-tumor uptake ratios. Animals were injected intravenously with both ¹³¹I-5G6.4 specific and ¹²⁵I-UPC-10 non-specific MoAb. Twenty-four hours later 65–80% of the original blood was exchanged with normal heparinized rat blood and then these rodents were sacrificed. Exchange transfusion significantly (P < 0.05) decreased normal tissue activities of ¹³¹I (except for muscle) by 63–85%. while tumor activity decreased only 5%. Tumor to background ratios increased from 0.1–0.8 to 2.3–6.3. Exchange transfusions substantially enhance tumor/normal tissue antibody uptake ratios and, along with plasmapheresis, may be useful in enhancing antibody localization in vivo, particularly for therapy.     

Regional and systemic distribution of anti-tumor x anti-CD3 heteroaggregate antibodies and cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes in a human colon cancer xenograft.

Anti-tumor antibody (317G5) covalently coupled to an anti-CD3 antibody (OKT3) produces a heteroaggregate (HA) antibody that can target PBL to lyse tumor cells expressing the appropriate tumor Ag. The i.v. and i.p. distribution of radiolabeled HA antibody 317G5 x OKT3 and of radiolabeled cultured human PBL were studied in athymic nude mice bearing solid intraperitoneal tumor established from the human colon tumor line, LS174T. Mice were injected with 125I-labeled HA antibody, 125I-labeled anti-tumor mAb, or 111In-labeled PBL, and at designated timepoints tissues were harvested and measured for radioactivity. 125I-317G5 x OKT3 localized specifically to tumor sites. Tumor radioactivity levels (percent injected dose/gram) were lower with 125I-317G5 x OKT3 HA antibody than with 125I-317G5 anti-tumor mAb, but were similar to levels reported for other anti-tumor mAb. The major difference in radioactivity levels observed between i.v. and i.p. administration of 125I-317G5 x OKT3 was an increase in hepatic radioactivity after i.v. HA antibody administration. HA antibodies produced from F(ab')2 fragments, which exhibit decreased m. w. and decreased Fc receptor-mediated binding, demonstrated improved tumor:tissue ratios as compared to intact antibody HA. 125I-317G5 F(ab')2 x OKT3 F(ab')2 antibody levels were equivalent to intact HA antibody levels in tumor, but were lower than intact HA antibody levels in the blood, bowel, and liver. Tumor:bowel ratios (20:1 at 48 h) were highest when 317G5 F(ab')2 x OKT3 F(ab')2 was injected i.p. Autoradiography confirmed that anti-tumor x anti-CD3 HA antibodies localized specifically to intraperitoneal tumor; that i.p. administered HA antibodies penetrated tumor directly; and that i.v. administered HA antibodies distributed along tumor vasculature. Cultured human PBL distributed in moderate concentrations to intraperitoneal tumor when administered i.p., but not when administered i.v. The poor localization of i.v. injected PBL to tumor may reflect species disparity in homing receptors and/or endothelial ligands, a problem which may be overcome with a syngeneic model. These results suggest that regional therapy with HA antibodies and PBL may offer advantages over systemic therapy for initial clinical trials.     

The intraperitoneal delivery of radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies: studies on the regional delivery advantage

Summary The i.p. delivery of murine monoclonal antibody was compared with i.v. delivery in normal mice and rats, in normal nude mice and in those with i.p. human ovarian carcinoma xenografts. In normal rats, all classes of antibodies and antibody fragments evaluated were cleared from the peritoneal cavity at comparable rates. The regional delivery (Rd¹) advantage to the peritoneal cavity following i.p. delivery was thus most dependent on the rate of clearance of the antibody or fragment from the blood stream. Determining the exact i.p. delivery advantage was problematic due to the difficulty in reliably obtaining peritoneal fluid later than 9–10 h after i.p. injection in normal animals. During the first 9 h following i.p. injection, the Rd(0–9/0–9) was, for a murine IgG2ak Fab>F(ab)₂>IgG (at 13.6>10>7.9). Two murine IgMs evaluated differed in Rd(0–9) at 27.1 and 9.2 respectively. When blood levels were extrapolated to infinity, these Rd (0–9/) values were considerably lower with the Fab having the highest Rd at 4.67. The i.p. Rd advantage was almost solely due to the i.p. antibody levels seen in the first 24 h after injection, as after that time, blood levels become comparable to those seen following i.v. injection. Normal tissues obtained at sacrifice 5–7 days after i.p. injection. Normal tissues obtained at sacrifice 5–7 days after i.p. or i.v. injection in rats showed comparable levels of radioantibody activity, whether the injection was i.p. or i.v. (except for higher diaphragmatic levels following i.p. delivery). In nude mice with i.p. human-derived ovarian tumors, intact IgG clearance from the peritoneal cavity to the blood was considerably slower than in normal animals, and early i.p. tumor uptake of specific antibody was significantly higher than that following i.v. antibody delivery. With higher early tumor uptake and lower systemic exposure, early tumor/nontumor ratios were significantly greater than those for i.v. delivery, though not beyond 48 h after i.p. injection. This study demonstrates the pharmacokinetic rationale for i.p. monoclonal antibody delivery, especially for agents cleared rapidly from the blood, such as antibody fragments. In addition, definite i.p. delivery benefit for antibody specific to i.p. tumors in the i.p. ovarian cancer system was shown soon after injection. These data regarding i.p. antibody delivery should be useful in rationally planning diagnostic and therapeutic studies involving the i.p. delivery of unmodified and immunoconjugated monoclonal antibodies.Rd is area under the curve (AUC) for peritoneal fluid activity/AUC for blood radioactivity. Rd (0–9/0–9) is the Rd measured from 0 to 9 h for both peritoneal fluid and blood. Rd (0–9/) is the conservative estimate of Rd with i.p. fluid AUC measured to 9 h, with blood levels extrapolated to infinity. Rd₂ is Rd/(AUC i.p. fluid (0–9)/AUC blood (0–9)) after i.v. injection.     

Monoclonal antibodies as reversible equilibrium carriers of radiopharmaceuticals

We have prepared monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) with the specific ability to bind metal chelates such as ¹¹¹In benzyl EDTA. One, 10, 50 and 100 μg MoAb CHA255 K_b = 4 × 10E9 was complexed with ¹¹¹In BLEDTA II, BLEDTA IV, and benzyl EDTA and injected i.v. in Balb/c mice with KHJJ tumor. The biological half-life by whole body counting was profoundly altered for all three compounds; from minutes to hours with 10 μg; to days with 100 μg. Tumor uptake increased 50 fold at 24 h with increasing MoAb but satisfactory tumor concentrations (3% per g) and tumor/blood ratios (1.8:1) were obtained with an amount equivalent to 7 mg for a human. Blood level and whole body activity were decreased 30–50% within 3 h or i.v. injection of a “flushing” dose of unlabeled indium benzyl EDTA, increasing tumor/blood ratios to 50:1.     

Radioimmunodetection of human colon cancer in nude mice by a new monoclonal antibody A7 against human colorectal cancer

The in vivo localization of a monoclonal antibody A7 against a human colorectal cancer was studied in nude mice bearing human solid carcinomas, to evaluate potential applications of this antibody for radioimmunodetection of cancer. The tissue distribution of¹²⁵I-labeled A7 MoAb at 3 days after i.v. injection into mice bearing five different kinds of human solid tumors revealed a high uptake ratio by colon cancer, mammary cancer, and glioblastoma. In contrast, the uptake ratio by murine colorectal cancer (Colon-38) was extremely low. In immunoscintigraphic studies, HCT-15, one of the human colon cancer, was clearly visualized with ¹¹¹In-DTPA-A7 MoAb. Glioblastoma was also imaged with the same extent. These results suggest that A7 MoAb would be applicable to the in vivo radioimmunodetection of colon- and mammary-cancer, and of glioblastoma.     

Antitumor effect of the streptococcal preparation OK-432 in a murine model of ovarian cancer

Summary The antitumor effects of the streptococcal preparation OK-432 were analyzed in a murine ovarian teratocarcinoma (MOT) model. Administration of OK-432 i.p. prevented tumor outgrowth in 75% of mice challenged with 10³ MOT cells i.p. 24 h previously. Treatment was less successful in mice challenged with 10⁴ or 10⁵ cells, preventing tumor growth in 25% of the former and only 5% of the latter group. Tumor-challenged mice cured by injections of OK-432 were not rendered resistant to a subsequent challenge with 10³ MOT cells 75 days after initial treatment. Only the i.p. route of administration was effective as i.v. OK-432 did not prolong survival of tumor-challenged mice. An antitumor response was detected as early as 24 h after i.p. treatment. This correlated temporally with an influx of neutrophils into the peritoneal cavity. Peritoneal cells obtained between 6 and 24 h after treatment were capable of lysing MOT targets in vitro. A single cell cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that peritoneal neutrophils, elicited by i.p. injection of OK-432, could bind to and lyse MOT targets. These data indicate that OK-432 is effective against small tumor cell inocula in this murine model of ovarian cancer and, furthermore, that the neutrophilic response into the peritoneal cavity plays a role in tumor rejection.     

Simulation of Tumor-Specific Delivery of Radioligand Comparison of One Step,Two Step,and Genetic Transduction Systems

A mathematical model simulation was performed to estimate the amount of radioactivity in plasma, normal tissues, and tumor tissue through three delivery approaches: one step radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (MAb) CC49 i.v. bolus injection, two step method with biotin conjugated CC49 i.v. bolus injection followed 72 hours later by i.v. bolus radiolabeled streptavidin injection, and gene therapy method to express biotin on the tumor cell surface followed by i.v. bolus radiolabeled streptavidin injection. The mathematical model was built based on a system of ordinary differential equations consisting of inputs and outputs of model components in plasma, normal tissues, and tumor tissue. Through computer modeling, we calculated concentrations of each component for plasma, tumor and normal tissues at various time points. Radioactivity ratios of tumor to plasma and tumor to normal tissues increased with time. The increase of tumor to normal tissue ratios was much faster for the gene therapy approach than for single step and two step approaches, e.g., a ratio of 24.26 vs. 2.06 and 6.24 at 72 hours after radioligand injection. Radioactivity ratios predicted by the model varied with the amount of radioactivity injected and the time interval between injections. The model could be used to evaluate different radioimmunotherapy strategies and to predict radioactivity biodistribution using other receptor-ligand systems.     

DOTA-Functionalized Polylysine: A High Number of DOTA Chelates Positively Influences the Biodistribution of Enzymatic Conjugated Anti-Tumor Antibody chCE7agl

Site-specific enzymatic reactions with microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) lead to a homogenous species of immunoconjugates with a defined ligand/antibody ratio. In the present study, we have investigated the influence of different numbers of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N-N′-N′′-N′′′-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelats coupled to a decalysine backbone on the in vivo behavior of the chimeric monoclonal anti-L1CAM antibody chCE7agl. The enzymatic conjugation of (DOTA)₁-decalysine, (DOTA)₃-decalysine or (DOTA)₅-decalysine to the antibody heavy chain (via Gln295/297) gave rise to immunoconjugates containing two, six or ten DOTA moieties respectively. Radiolabeling of the immunoconjugates with ¹⁷⁷Lu yielded specific activities of approximately 70 MBq/mg, 400 MBq/mg and 700 MBq/mg with increasing numbers of DOTA chelates. Biodistribution experiments in SKOV3ip human ovarian cancer cell xenografts demonstrated a high and specific accumulation of radioactivity at the tumor site for all antibody derivatives with a maximal tumor accumulation of 43.6±4.3% ID/g at 24 h for chCE7agl-[(DOTA)-decalysine]₂, 30.6±12.0% ID/g at 24 h for chCE7agl-[(DOTA)₃-decalysine]₂ and 49.9±3.1% ID/g at 48 h for chCE7agl-[(DOTA)₅-decalysine)]₂. The rapid elimination from the blood of chCE7agl-[(DOTA)-decalysine]₂ (1.0±0.1% ID/g at 24 h) is associated with a high liver accumulation (23.2±4.6% ID/g at 24 h). This behavior changed depending on the numbers of DOTA moieties coupled to the decalysine peptide with a slower blood clearance (5.1±1.0 (DOTA)₃ versus 11.7±1.4% ID/g (DOTA)₅, p<0.005 at 24 h) and lower radioactivity levels in the liver (21.4±3.4 (DOTA)₃ versus 5.8±0.7 (DOTA)₅, p<0.005 at 24 h). We conclude that the site-specific and stoichiometric uniform conjugation of the highly DOTA-substituted decalysine ((DOTA)₅-decalysine) to an anti-tumor antibody leads to the formation of immunoconjugates with high specific activity and excellent in vivo behavior and is a valuable option for radioimmunotherapy and potentially antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).     

A new method for faster blood clearance in radioimmuno-guided surgery

A major inconvenience of intraoperative tumor detection with radiolabeled monoclonal antibody (MoAb) by means of a probe is the long interval needed between the injection of MoAb and surgery (at least 20 days). We describe a new method which entails injection of 125I-labeled biotinylated monoclonal antibodies and cold avidin in order to obtain a rapid blood clearance of the radiotracer. The first clinical application of this protocol has been carried out in a colon cancer patient operated on six days after the administration of 125I-labeled biotinylated MoAb and cold avidin, with an optimal tumor-to-normal tissue ratio and with 90% of the circulating radioactivity cleared in two days.     

Tumor uptake study of 18F-labeled N-acetylneuraminic acids

In order to develop positron-emitting tracers for imaging metabolic functions of tumors with positron emission tomography, tumor uptake of N-acetyl-3-[¹⁸F]fluoroneuraminic acid and N-acetyl-2-deoxy-2,3-di-[¹⁸F fluoroneuraminic acid was investigated in mice or rats. The two tracers showed similar tissue distribution patterns. After i.v. injection of each tracer into mice with an FM3A tumor, the radioactivity was very rapidly cleared from normal and tumor tissues. Only tumor-to-brain and tumor-to-muscle uptake ratios were greater than 1.0 for 2 h. In 7 types of tumor models, no selective tumor uptake of tracers was observed 30 min after injection. The metabolic alteration rate of N-acetyl-3-[¹⁸F]fluoroneuraminic acid in FM3A, liver and kidney was very slow. Neither tracer may be suitable for tumor imaging in vivo.     

Internalization and re-expression of antigens of human melanoma cells following exposure to monoclonal antibody

Modulation of the surface membrane of human Sk-Mel-28 melanoma cells by monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 96.5 recognizing p97 determinants was examined using direct radioimmunoassay and indirect fluorescent antibody-staining techniques. It was determined that the majority of 111In-labeled antibody that remained associated with cells after a 24-hr incubation at 37 degrees C had been internalized because MoAb 96.5 was no longer visible on the cell surface. A second treatment of these cells with the same antibody 24 hr later not only increased the cell-associated radioactivity, reflecting an increase of total antibody bound, but also rendered these cells membrane immunofluorescent again, indicating the re-expression of surface antigens. Autoradiographs of the electrophoretically analyzed membrane components of Sk-Mel-28 cells further demonstrated the appearance of newly synthesized 97-kDa proteins that were immunoprecipitable with MoAb 96.5. Taken together, the present findings suggest that p97 antigens undergo endocytosis in Sk-Mel-28 cells following exposure to MoAb 96.5. However, the same antigens were regenerated and expressed on the cell surface within a period of 24 hr. The re-expression of tumor cell surface antigen following initial internalization of the MoAb-antigen complex may have implications for diagnosis and therapy.     

A Versatile Technique for the In Vivo Imaging of Human Tumor Xenografts Using Near-Infrared Fluorochrome-Conjugated Macromolecule Probes

Here, we present a versatile method for detecting human tumor xenografts in vivo, based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, using near-infrared (NIR) fluorochrome-conjugated macromolecule probes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and two immunoglobulins—an anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) monoclonal antibody and isotype control IgG_2a—were labeled with XenoLight CF770 fluorochrome and used as NIR-conjugated macromolecule probes to study whole-body imaging in a variety of xenotransplantation mouse models. NIR fluorescent signals were observed in subcutaneously transplanted BxPC-3 (human pancreatic cancer) cells and HCT 116 (colorectal cancer) cells within 24 h of NIR-macromolecule probe injection, but the signal from the fluorochrome itself or from the NIR-conjugated small molecule (glycine) injection was not observed. The accuracy of tumor targeting was confirmed by the localization of the NIR-conjugated immunoglobulin within the T-HCT 116 xenograft (in which the orange-red fluorescent protein tdTomato was stably expressed by HCT 116 cells) in the subcutaneous transplantation model. However, there was no significant difference in the NIR signal intensity of the region of interest between the anti-HLA antibody group and the isotype control group in the subcutaneous transplantation model. Therefore, the antibody accumulation within the tumor in vivo is based on the EPR effect. The liver metastasis generated by an intrasplenic injection of T-HCT 116 cells was clearly visualized by the NIR-conjugated anti-HLA probe but not by the orange-red fluorescent signal derived from the tdTomato reporter. This result demonstrated the superiority of the NIR probes over the tdTomato reporter protein at enhancing tissue penetration. In another xenograft model, patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of LC11-JCK (human non-small cell lung cancer) were successfully visualized using the NIR-conjugated macromolecule probe without any genetic modification. These results suggested that NIR-conjugated macromolecule, preferably, anti-HLA antibody probe is a valuable tool for the detection of human tumors in experimental metastasis models using whole-body imaging.     

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT)

Antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) has been studied in a human ovarian carcinoma xenograft grown subcutaneously in nude mice. Radioimmunoassay of supernatants obtained from tumor homogenates showed these to contain carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Biodistribution studies with¹²⁵I-labeled monoclonal anti-CEA antibody, A5B7, and its F(ab′)₂ fragment showed localization in these xenografts. The AB57-F(ab′)₂ fragment conjugated to a bacterial enzyme, carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2), and, radiolabeled with¹²⁵iodine, also localized in the xenografts. The radiolabeled conjugate cleared from blood faster than the antibody alone. The percentage of injected dose per gram in tumor at 24 h postinjection was about fivefold lower than antibody alone. Tumor-to-blood ratio at 72 h after injection of the radiolabeled conjugate was 7 and the tumor-to-normal tissue ratios at this time point ranged from 20 (liver) to 75 (colon). A three-phase ADEPT antitumor study was carried out in which A5B7-F(ab′)₂-CPG2 was allowed to localize and was followed by accelerated inactivation/clearance of blood CPG2 by a galactosylated anti-CPG2 antibody (SB43gal). A benzoic acid mustard-derived prodrug was injected 24 h after the conjugate, which led to growth delay in this tumor compared to the control untreated group. Further antitumor studies in this model are in progress.     

Quantitative autoradiographic evaluation of the influence of protein dose on monoclonal antibody distribution in human ovarian adenocarcinoma xenografts

Summary We studied the effect of monoclonal antibody protein dose on the uniformity of radioiodinated antibody distribution within tumor masses using quantitative autoradiography. Groups (n = 11–13/group) of athymic nude mice with subcutaneous HTB77 human ovarian carcinoma xenografts were injected intraperitoneally with an¹²⁵I-labeled anticarcinoma-associated antigen murine monoclonal antibody, 5G6.4, using a high or a low protein dose (500 µg or 5 µg). At 6 days post-injection the macroscopic and microscopic intratumoral biodistribution of radiolabeled antibody was determined. The degree of heterogeneity of the labeled antibody distribution within each tumor was quantified and expressed as thecoefficient of variation (CV) of the activity levels in serial histological sections. Tumors from mice given the 500-µg protein doses had substantially lower CV values, 0.327±0.027, than did tumors from animals given 5-µg protein doses, 0.458±0.041, (P = 0.0078), indicating that the higher protein dose resulted in more homogeneous distribution of radioactivity in tumors than did the lower dose. While the percentage of the injected dose reaching the tumor was comparable between groups, injecting the higher dose of protein resulted in significantly lower tumor to non-tumor uptake ratios than those obtained for the lower protein dose. These data indicate, in this system, that to achieve more uniform intratumoral antibody (and radiation for radioimmunotherapy) delivery, a relatively high protein dose must be administered. However, to obtain this increased uniformity, a substantial drop in tumor/background uptake ratios was seen. Quantitative autoradiographic evaluation of human tumor xenografts is a useful method to assess the intratumoral distribution of antibodies.     

Multimodality imaging of abnormal vascular perfusion and morphology in preclinical 9L gliosarcoma model

Background

This study demonstrates that a dynamic susceptibility contrast-magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) perfusion parameter may indicate vascular abnormality in a brain tumor model and reflects an effect of dexamethasone treatment. In addition, X-ray computed tomography (CT) measurements of vascular tortuosity and tissue markers of vascular morphology were performed to investigate the underpinnings of tumor response to dexamethasone.

Methodology/Principal Findings

One cohort of Fisher 344 rats (N = 13), inoculated intracerebrally with 9L gliosarcoma cells, was treated with dexamethasone (i.p. 3 mg/kg/day) for five consecutive days, and another cohort (N = 11) was treated with equal volume of saline. Longitudinal DSC-MRI studies were performed at the first (baseline), third and fifth day of treatments. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) was significantly reduced on the third day of dexamethasone treatment (0.65±.13) as compared to the fifth day during treatment (1.26±.19, p<0.05). In saline treated rats, relative CBV gradually increased during treatment (0.89±.13, 1.00±.21, 1.13±.23) with no significant difference on the third day of treatment (p>0.05). In separate serial studies, microfocal X-ray CT of ex vivo brain specimens (N = 9) and immunohistochemistry for endothelial cell marker anti-CD31 (N = 8) were performed. Vascular morphology of ex vivo rat brains from micro-CT analysis showed hypervascular characteristics in tumors, and both vessel density (41.32±2.34 branches/mm³, p<0.001) and vessel tortuosity (p<0.05) were significantly reduced in tumors of rats treated with dexamethasone compared to saline (74.29±3.51 branches/mm³). The vascular architecture of rat brain tissue was examined with anti-CD31 antibody, and dexamethasone treated tumor regions showed reduced vessel area (16.45±1.36 µm²) as compared to saline treated tumor regions (30.83±4.31 µm², p<0.001) and non-tumor regions (22.80±1.11 µm², p<0.01).

Conclusions/Significance

Increased vascular density and tortuosity are culprit to abnormal perfusion, which is transiently reduced during dexamethasone treatment.     

Radioiodinated 1-(2-fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopyranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole: a novel probe for the noninvasive assessment of tumor hypoxia.

1-(2-Fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopyranosyl)-2-nitroimidazole (FIAZP) has been synthesized and labeled with radioiodine (125I). Radioiodinated FIAZP is one of a series of sugar-coupled 2-nitroimidazoles developed in our laboratory as probes for noninvasive scintigraphic assessment of tumor hypoxia. An in vivo biodistribution study with [125I]FIAZP in the murine BALB/c EMT-6 tumor model showed a tumor-to-blood ratio of 6, 24 h after injection, with 0.5% of the injected dose present per gram of tumor. These values are several times higher than the respective ratios and distribution values in any of the organs, with the exception of liver. Radioactivity from tissues other than tumor and liver declined with time, following the decline of blood radioactivity. Rapid whole-body elimination of radioactivity was observed (> 96% in 24 h). The thyroid showed little uptake of radioactivity, indicating minimal in vivo deiodination. 1-(2-Fluoro-4-iodo-2,4-dideoxy-beta-L-xylopranosyl)-2-nitroimidazo le appears to undergo hypoxia-dependent binding in tumor tissue at levels comparable to those of other sugar-coupled 2-nitroimidazoles. The potential for imaging with this compound is discussed.     

Fractionated Therapy of HER2-Expressing Breast and Ovarian Cancer Xenografts in Mice with Targeted Alpha Emitting (227)Th-DOTA-p-benzyl-trastuzumab

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate therapeutic efficacy and normal tissue toxicity of single dosage and fractionated targeted alpha therapy (TAT) in mice with HER2-expressing breast and ovarian cancer xenografts using the low dose rate radioimmunoconjugate ²²⁷Th-DOTA-p-benzyl-trastuzumab.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Nude mice carrying HER2-overexpressing subcutaneous SKOV-3 or SKBR-3 xenografts were treated with 1000 kBq/kg ²²⁷Th-trastuzumab as single injection or four injections of 250 kBq/kg with intervals of 4–5 days, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks. Control animals were treated with normal saline or unlabeled trastuzumab. In SKOV-3 xenografts tumor growth to 10-fold size was delayed (p<0.01) and survival with tumor diameter less than 16 mm was prolonged (p<0.05) in all TAT groups compared to the control groups. No statistically significant differences were seen among the treated groups. In SKBR-3 xenografts tumor growth to 10-fold size was delayed in the single injection and 4–5 days interval groups (p<0.001) and all except the 4 weeks interval TAT group showed improved survival to the control groups (p<0.05). Toxicity was assessed by blood cell counts, clinical chemistry measurements and body weight. Transient reduction in white blood cells was seen for the single injection and 4–5 days interval groups (p<0.05). No significant changes were seen in red blood cells, platelets or clinical chemistry parameters. Survival without life threatening loss of body weight was significantly prolonged in 4 weeks interval group compared to single injection group (p<0.05) for SKOV-3 animals and in 2 weeks interval group compared with the 4–5 days interval groups (p<0.05) for SKBR-3 animals.

Conclusions/Significance

The same concentration of radioactivity split into several fractions may improve toxicity of ²²⁷Th-radioimmunotherapy while the therapeutic effect is maintained. Thus, it might be possible to increase the cumulative absorbed radiation dose to tumor with acceptable toxicity by fractionation of the dosage.     

Bioavailability of Ziconotide in brain: influx from blood, stability, and diffusion

Ziconotide is a selective peptide antagonist of the N-type calcium channel currently in clinical trials for analgesia. Ziconotide reached a maximal brain concentration of between 0.003 and 0.006% of the injected material per gram of tissue at 3-20 min after i.v. injection, and this decayed to below 0.001%/g after 2 h. The structurally distinct conopeptide SNX-185 (synthetic TVIA) was considerably more persistent in brain after i.v. administration, with 0.0035% of the injected material present at 2-4 h after i.v. injection, and 0.0015% present at 24 h. Similar results (i.e. greater persistence of SNX-185) were obtained when the peptides were perfused through in vivo dialysis probes implanted into the hippocampus. Image analysis and serial sectioning showed that diffusion of Ziconotide in the extracellular fluid around the dialysis probe was minimal, with the peptide located within 1 mm of the probe after 2 h. In vitro diffusion through cultured bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMEC) verified that a close structural analog of Ziconotide (SNX-194) passed through this blood-brain barrier (BBB) model as expected for peptides of similar physical properties (permeability coefficient of 6.5 x 10(-4) cm/g). Passage from blood to brain was also verified by in situ perfusion through the carotid artery. A statistically greater amount of radioactivity was found to cross the BBB after perfusion of radioiodinated Ziconotide compared to [14C]inulin. Capillary depletion experiments and HPLC analysis defined the brain location and stability.     

Influence of the donors' clinical status on in vitro and in vivo tumor-cytotoxic activation of interleukin-2-exposed lymphocytes and their circulation in different organs

Summary In-vitro-generated lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells of BALB/c mice, bearing the syngeneic colon carcinoma C-26 for 7 days, were as efficient as those from normal mice in lysing C-26 cells whereas LAK cells from 14-day tumor-bearing and 5- and 14-day tumor-resected animals had a lower C-26 cytotoxicity. The level of C-26 lysis returned to normal values 30 days after surgery. To identify the best source of LAK cells in vivo, groups of normal mice were treated with 10⁴, 3×10⁴ or 10⁵ U/day of interleukin 2 (IL-2) for 7 days intraperitoneally (i. p.) or intravenously (i. v.) (3×10⁴ dose only). The highest lysis on C-26 was obtained from peritoneal exudate cells of mice given 3×10⁴ and 10⁵ U whereas spleen cells were lytic only when taken from mice treated with 10⁵ U IL-2. Peripheral blood lymphocytes lacked any cytotoxicity except for the group of mice which received IL-2 i. v. The kinetics of in vivo LAK activation in different organs showed a peak of anti-(C-26) lytic activity at day 5 in peritoneal exudate cells and spleen cells of mice given IL-2 for 5 days whereas administration of LAK cells alone had no effect; IL-2 plus LAK cells gave a lower peak of LAK activity as compared with IL-2 alone. A lower level of in vivo LAK activation was found in mice whose tumor was resected 5 days before; such impairment was evident even 14 days after surgery. Homing experiments were carried out with i. v. injected ⁵¹Cr-labelled LAK cells in normal or tumor-resected mice. In normal mice the highest radioactivity at 30 min was found in the lungs; liver and spleen also showed high radioactivity whereas blood had a negligible amount of radioactivity. Radioactivity declined rapidly in lungs (less than 10% after 24 h) while remaining at appreciable levels in the liver after 24 h and 48 h; spleen showed constant levels of 12%–15%. Homing of LAK cells was altered in mice receiving IL-2 i. p. for 5 days with slower and lower radioactivity peaks in the lung and higher levels in liver. In tumor-excised mice lower levels of radioactivity were found in lungs. These results show that: (a) alterations in LAK activity occur in early-tumor-resected and large-tumor-bearing animals; (b) the route of IL-2 administration is critical in LAK activation in vivo; (c) treatment with IL-2 modifies LAK homing.This study was in part supported by grant no. 87.01565.44 of the Finalized Project Oncology of CNR (Rome, Italy)     

Ex Vivo and In Vivo Imaging and Biodistribution of Aptamers Targeting the Human Matrix MetalloProtease-9 in Melanomas

The human Matrix MetalloProtease-9 (hMMP-9) is overexpressed in tumors where it promotes the release of cancer cells thus contributing to tumor metastasis. We raised aptamers against hMMP-9, which constitutes a validated marker of malignant tumors, in order to design probes for imaging tumors in human beings. A chemically modified RNA aptamer (F3B), fully resistant to nucleases was previously described. This compound was subsequently used for the preparation of F3B-Cy5, F3B-S-acetylmercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG) and F3B-DOTA. The binding properties of these derivatives were determined by surface plasmon resonance and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Optical fluorescence imaging confirmed the binding to hMMP-9 in A375 melanoma bearing mice. Quantitative biodistribution studies were performed at 30 min, 1h and 2 h post injection of ^99mTc-MAG-aptamer and ¹¹¹In-DOTA-F3B. ^99mTc radiolabeled aptamer specifically detected hMMP-9 in A375 melanoma tumors but accumulation in digestive tract was very high. Following i.v. injection of ¹¹¹In-DOTA-F3B, high level of radioactivity was observed in kidneys and bladder but digestive tract uptake was very limited. Tumor uptake was significantly (student t test, p<0.05) higher for ¹¹¹In-DOTA-F3B with 2.0%ID/g than for the ¹¹¹In-DOTA-control oligonucleotide (0.7%ID/g) with tumor to muscle ratio of 4.0. Such difference in tumor accumulation has been confirmed by ex vivo scintigraphic images performed at 1h post injection and by autoradiography, which revealed the overexpression of hMMP-9 in sections of human melanomas. These results demonstrate that F3B aptamer is of interest for detecting hMMP-9 in melanoma tumor.