Texture analysis of (125)I-A5B7 anti-CEA antibody SPECT differentiates metastatic colorectal cancer model phenotypes and anti-vascular therapy response.
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ABSTRACT: We aimed to test the ability of texture analysis to differentiate the spatial heterogeneity of (125)I-A5B7 anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody distribution by nano-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in well-differentiated (SW1222) and poorly differentiated (LS174T) hepatic metastatic colorectal cancer models before and after combretastatin A1 di-phosphate anti-vascular therapy.Nano-SPECT imaging was performed following tail vein injection of 20 MBq (125)I-A5B7 in control CD1 nude mice (LS174T, n=3 and SW1222, n=4), and CA1P-treated mice (LS174T, n=3; SW1222, n=4) with liver metastases. Grey-level co-occurrence matrix textural features (uniformity, homogeneity, entropy and contrast) were calculated in up to three liver metastases in 14 mice from control and treatment groups.Before treatment, the LS174T metastases (n=7) were more heterogeneous than SW1222 metastases (n=12) (uniformity, P=0.028; homogeneity, P=0.01; contrast, P=0.045). Following CA1P, LS174T metastases (n=8) showed less heterogeneity than untreated LS174T controls (uniformity, P=0.021; entropy, P=0.006). Combretastatin A1 di-phosphate-treated SW1222 metastases (n=11) showed no difference in texture features compared with controls (all P>0.05).Supporting the potential for novel imaging biomarkers, texture analysis of (125)I-A5B7 SPECT shows differences in spatial heterogeneity of antibody distribution between well-differentiated (SW1222) and poorly differentiated (LS174T) liver metastases before treatment. Following anti-vascular treatment, LS174T metastases, but not SW1222 metastases, were less heterogeneous.
Project description:Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most widely used tumor marker in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, its potential as a predictive marker of progression in mCRC during systemic chemotherapy, particularly in patients receiving monoclonal antibodies as a combination therapy, has remained of interest. Herein, we investigated whether CEA changes could predict disease progression and clinical outcomes in patients with mCRC cotreated with systemic chemotherapy and/or biologic agents. A total of 1261 patients with mCRC undergoing a first-line systemic treatment were included in this retrospective study. We analyzed the optimal cut-off value for CEA changes to predict progression at the first response evaluation by the treatment arm (chemotherapy alone, chemotherapy plus anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody [mAb], and chemotherapy plus anti-epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] mAb). These cut-off values were then used to predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). When stratified by their treatment arm, 891 (70.6%), 266 (21.0%), and 104 (8.2%) of the study patients were included in the chemotherapy alone-, anti-VEGF mAb, and anti-EGFR mAb groups, respectively. The optimal CEA cut-off values were 16.5% and 38.9% increase in the whole cohort and anti-EGFR mAb group, respectively, and these values showed high sensitivity and specificity for predicting disease progression. The patients in the entire population and anti-EGFR mAb group with CEA changes below these cut-off values showed significantly better OS and PFS outcomes compared those whose changes were above cut-off values. Among the patients with mCRC treated with anti-VEGF mAb, no associations were found between OS or PFS outcomes and CEA changes. CEA is potentially a good surrogate marker for predicting disease progression and survival outcomes in patients with mCRC receiving first-line systemic chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy with anti-EGFR mAb, whereas it is less effective in those treated with anti-VEGF mAb.
Project description:The now clinically-used anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated significant efficacy only in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), with wild-type Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS). However, no effective treatments for patients with mCRC with KRAS mutated tumors have been approved yet. Therefore, a new strategy for targeting mCRC with KRAS mutated tumors is desired. In the present study, we examined the anti-tumor activities of a novel anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody, EMab-17 (mouse IgG2a, kappa), in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells with the KRAS p.G13D mutation. This antibody recognized endogenous EGRF in CRC cells with or without KRAS mutations, and showed a high sensitivity for CRC cells in flow cytometry, indicating that EMab-17 possesses a high binding affinity to the endogenous EGFR. In vitro experiments showed that EMab-17 exhibited antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity activities against CRC cells. In vivo analysis revealed that EMab-17 inhibited the metastases of HCT-15 and HCT-116 cells in the livers of nude mouse metastatic models, unlike the anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody EMab-51 of subtype mouse IgG1. In conclusion, EMab-17 may be useful in an antibody-based therapy against mCRC with the KRAS p.G13D mutation.
Project description:Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal disease in part due to incomplete tumor resection. Targeting by tumor-specific antibodies conjugated with a fluorescent label can result in selective labeling of cancer in vivo for surgical navigation. In the present study, we describe a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft model of pancreatic cancer that recapitulated the disease on a gross and microscopic level, along with physiologic clinical manifestations. We additionally show that the use of an anti-CEA antibody conjugated to the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, IRDye800CW, can selectively highlight the pancreatic cancer and its metastases in this model with a tumor-to-background ratio of 3.5 (SEM 0.9). The present results demonstrate the clinical potential of this labeling technique for fluorescence-guided surgery of pancreatic cancer.
Project description:PurposeDiagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of chronic bacterial infection requires methods to detect and localize sites of infection accurately. Complement C3 activation fragments are generated and covalently bound to selective bacterial pathogens during the immune response and can serve as biomarkers of ongoing bacterial infection. We have developed several probes for detecting tissue-bound C3 deposits, including a monoclonal antibody (mAb 3d29) that recognizes the tissue-bound terminal processing fragments iC3b and C3d but does not recognize native circulating C3 or tissue-bound C3b.ProceduresTo determine whether mAb 3d29 could be used to detect chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection non-invasively, aerosol-infected female C3HeB/FeJ mice were injected with [125I]3d29 mAb and either imaged using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging at 24 and 48 h after radiotracer injection or being subjected to biodistribution analysis.ResultsDiscrete lesions were detected by SPECT/CT imaging in the lungs and spleens of infected mice, consistent with the location of granulomas in the infected animals as detected by CT. Low-level signal was seen in the spleens of uninfected mice and no signal was seen in the lungs of healthy mice. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that 3d29 in the lungs of infected mice co-localized with aggregates of macrophages (detected with anti-CD68 antibodies). 3d29 was detected in the cytoplasm of macrophages, consistent with the location of internalized M. tuberculosis. 3d29 was also present within alveolar epithelial cells, indicating that it detected M. tuberculosis phagocytosed by other CD68-positive cells. Healthy controls showed very little retention of fluorescent or radiolabeled antibody across tissues. Radiolabeled 3d29 compared with radiolabeled isotype control showed a 3.5:1 ratio of increased uptake in infected lungs, indicating specific uptake by 3d29.Conclusion3d29 can be used to detect and localize areas of infection with M. tuberculosis non-invasively by 24 h after radiotracer injection and with high contrast.
Project description:Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) continues to be counted as a major health problem. The introduction of newer cytotoxics, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, has achieved a significant improvement in survival rates. Novel targeted therapies (bevacizumab, and cetuximab) in combination with most efficient chemotherapy regimens have pushed the median survival beyond the 2-year mark and increased the proportion of patients which could benefit from resection of metastatic lesions. In addition, several studies have proved that the CRC mutation profiles should influence patient selection or stratification in prospective trials. KRAS mutational status represents a paradigm for biomarker development in the era of molecular targeted therapies. The present article is an overview of the most important studies in the development of biomarkers for the optimization of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) treatment in mCRC, beyond KRAS mutations, which is a work in progress. The aim will be to identify molecular markers that might be used to select patients with a higher probability of response to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Overall the accumulating evidence of the molecular biology of CRC has substantially changed the approach to mCRC treatment and has given clinicians more rational options for treating this illness.
Project description:BackgroundThe T cell bispecific antibody cibisatamab (CEA-TCB) binds Carcino-Embryonic Antigen (CEA) on cancer cells and CD3 on T cells, which triggers T cell killing of cancer cell lines expressing moderate to high levels of CEA at the cell surface. Patient derived colorectal cancer organoids (PDOs) may more accurately represent patient tumors than established cell lines which potentially enables more detailed insights into mechanisms of cibisatamab resistance and sensitivity.MethodsWe established PDOs from multidrug-resistant metastatic CRCs. CEA expression of PDOs was determined by FACS and sensitivity to cibisatamab immunotherapy was assessed by co-culture of PDOs and allogeneic CD8 T cells.ResultsPDOs could be categorized into 3 groups based on CEA cell-surface expression: CEAhi (n = 3), CEAlo (n = 1) and CEAmixed PDOs (n = 4), that stably maintained populations of CEAhi and CEAlo cells, which has not previously been described in CRC cell lines. CEAhi PDOs were sensitive whereas CEAlo PDOs showed resistance to cibisatamab. PDOs with mixed expression showed low sensitivity to cibisatamab, suggesting that CEAlo cells maintain cancer cell growth. Culture of FACS-sorted CEAhi and CEAlo cells from PDOs with mixed CEA expression demonstrated high plasticity of CEA expression, contributing to resistance acquisition through CEA antigen loss. RNA-sequencing revealed increased WNT/β-catenin pathway activity in CEAlo cells. Cell surface CEA expression was up-regulated by inhibitors of the WNT/β-catenin pathway.ConclusionsBased on these preclinical findings, heterogeneity and plasticity of CEA expression appear to confer low cibisatamab sensitivity in PDOs, supporting further clinical evaluation of their predictive effect in CRC. Pharmacological inhibition of the WNT/β-catenin pathway may be a rational combination to sensitize CRCs to cibisatamab. Our novel PDO and T cell co-culture immunotherapy models enable pre-clinical discovery of candidate biomarkers and combination therapies that may inform and accelerate the development of immuno-oncology agents in the clinic.
Project description:Lipid nanodiscs (LNDs), comprising a phospholipid bilayer encircled by two molecules of a recombinant membrane scaffold protein, can be targeted to tumors with covalently attached antibodies (Abs) or their fragments. Antibody attachment to click chemistry based PEGylated lipids on LNDs including DOTA allowed PET imaging with the positron emitter 64Cu. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) positive tumors in CEA transgenic mice were chosen as a tumor target. Fab' fragments, that otherwise are rapidly cleared by the kidney due to their small size, were retained in circulation when conjugated to LNDs. Untargeted PET imaging of 64Cu-DOTA-LNDs revealed low tumor uptake (4-5% ID/g) in the range expected for the enhanced permeability retention (EPR) effect with high liver uptake (17-21% ID/g) indicating gut clearance. Fab' targeted LNDs showed little improvement over untargeted LNDs, but intact IgG targeted LNDs gave high tumor uptake (40% ID/g) with low liver (8% ID/g), demonstrating that tumor targeting with antibody conjugated LNDs is feasible.
Project description:Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most commonly used tumor marker in a variety of cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC) for tumor diagnosis and monitoring. Recent studies have shown that colonic crypt cells expressing little or no CEA may enrich for stem cells. Numerous studies have clearly shown that there exist CRC patients with normal serum CEA levels during tumor progression or even tumor relapse, although CEA itself is considered to promote metastasis and block cell differentiation. These seemingly contradictory observations prompted us to investigate, herein, the biological properties as well as tumorigenic and metastatic capacity of CRC cells that express high (CEA+) versus low CEA (CEA-/lo) levels of CEA. Our findings show that the abundance of CEA-/lo cells correlate with poor differentiation and poor prognosis, and moreover, CEA-/lo cells form more spheres in vitro, generate more tumors and exhibit a higher potential in developing liver and lung metastases than corresponding CEA+ cells. Applying RNAi-mediated approach, we found that IGF1R mediated tumorigenic and capacity of CEA-/lo cells but did not mediate those of CEA+ cells. Notably, our data demonstrated that CEA molecule was capable of protecting CEA-/lo cells from anoikis, implying that CEA+ cells, although themselves possessing less tumorigenic and metastatic capacity, may promote metastasis of CEA-/lo cells via secreting CEA molecule. Our observations suggest that, besides targeting CEA molecule, CEA-/lo cells may represent a critical source of tumor progression and metastasis, and should therefore be the target of future therapies.
Project description:BackgroundCD3-based bispecific T cell engagers (bsTCEs) are one of the most promising bispecific antibodies for effective cancer treatments. To elicit target-specific T cell-mediated cytotoxicity, these bsTCEs contain at least one binding unit directed against a tumor antigen and another binding unit targeting CD3 in T cell receptor complex. Development of CD3-based bsTCEs, however, has been severely hampered by dose-limiting toxicities due to cytokine release syndrome. To address this limitation, we developed a novel functionally trivalent T cell engager (t-TCE) antibody containing affinity-reduced CD3 binding unit positioned to ensure monovalent CD3 engagement, in combination with bivalent tumor antigen binding of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).MethodsWe modeled the variable region of anti-CD3 in the complementarity-determining regions of the heavy chain and obtained CD3 binders with reduced binding affinity. Two optimized versions CEA/CD3-v1 and CEA/CD3-v2 were identified and generated in tetravalent format, characterized and compared in vitro and in vivo for functional activity.ResultsOur lead candidate, CEA/CD3-v2, demonstrated subnanomolar binding and picomolar potency against a panel of CEA-expressing cancer cell lines. In addition, we detected reduced T cell cytokine release with potent cytotoxic activity. Our t-TCE CEA/CD3-v2 molecule demonstrated strong antitumor effect in a dose-dependent manner in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) xenograft model. Furthermore, combination of CEA/CD3-v2 with atezolizumab provided synergistic antitumor effect.ConclusionsBecause of its effective tumor cell killing in vitro and in vivo with reduced cytokine release, CEA/CD3 bsTCE may greatly benefit in CEA-positive cancer immunotherapy.