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Development of a potent DOTA-conjugated bombesin antagonist for targeting GRPr-positive tumours

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Abstract

Purpose

Radiolabelled somatostatin-based antagonists show a higher uptake in tumour-bearing mouse models than agonists of similar or even distinctly higher receptor affinity. Very similar results were obtained with another family of G protein-coupled receptor ligands, the bombesin family. We describe a new conjugate, RM2, with the chelator DOTA coupled to D-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2 via the cationic spacer 4-amino-1-carboxymethyl-piperidine for labelling with radiometals such as 111In and 68Ga.

Methods

RM2 was synthesized on a solid support and evaluated in vitro in PC-3 cells. IC50 and Kd values were determined. The antagonist potency was evaluated by immunofluorescence-based internalization and Ca2+ mobilization assays. Biodistribution studies were performed in PC-3 and LNCaP tumour-bearing mice with 111In-RM2 and 68Ga-RM2, respectively. PET/CT studies were performed on PC-3 and LNCaP tumour-bearing nude mice with 68Ga-RM2.

Results

RM2 and 111In-RM2 are high-affinity and selective ligands for the GRP receptor (7.7±3.3 nmol/l for RM2; 9.3±3.3 nmol/l for natIn-RM2). The potent antagonistic properties were confirmed by an immunofluorescence-based internalization and Ca2+ mobilization assays. 68Ga- and 111In-RM2 showed high and specific uptake in both the tumour and the pancreas. Uptake in the tumour remained high (15.2±4.8%IA/g at 1 h; 11.7±2.4%IA/g at 4 h), whereas a relatively fast washout from the pancreas and the other abdominal organs was observed. Uptake in the pancreas decreased rapidly from 22.6±4.7%IA/g at 1 h to 1.5±0.5%IA/g at 4 h.

Conclusion

RM2 was shown to be a potent GRPr antagonist. Pharmacokinetics and imaging studies indicate that 111In-RM2 and 68Ga-RM2 are ideal candidates for clinical SPECT and PET studies.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Marion de Jong and Dr. Cristina Müller for support with the SPECT/CT measurements, Novartis Pharma for analytical assistance, M.L. Tamma and S. Tschumi for their expert technical help, and Bayer Schering Pharma for financial support.

Conflict of interest

Rosalba Mansi, Xuejuan Wang, Flavio Forrer, Beatrice Waser, Renzo Cescato, Jean Claude Reubi and Helmut R. Maecke declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Radiological Chemistry, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Rosalba Mansi, Xuejuan Wang & Helmut R. Maecke

  2. Institute of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Flavio Forrer

  3. Division of Cell Biology and Experimental Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland

    Beatrice Waser, Renzo Cescato & Jean Claude Reubi

  4. Global Drug Discovery, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Berlin, Germany

    Keith Graham & Sandra Borkowski

  5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstrasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Rosalba Mansi & Helmut R. Maecke

  6. Erasmus Medical Centre, Nuclear Medicine, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Flavio Forrer

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  1. Rosalba Mansi
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Correspondence to Helmut R. Maecke.

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Mansi, R., Wang, X., Forrer, F. et al. Development of a potent DOTA-conjugated bombesin antagonist for targeting GRPr-positive tumours. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 38, 97–107 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-010-1596-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-010-1596-9

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