Preclinical validation of 111 In-girentuximab-F(ab') 2 as a tracer to image hypoxia related marker CAIX expression in head and neck cancer xenografts

• Published in: Radiotherapy and oncology 2017-09, Vol.124 (3), p.521-525
• Main Authors: Huizing, Fokko J, Hoeben, Bianca A W, Franssen, Gerben, Lok, Jasper, Heskamp, Sandra, Oosterwijk, Egbert, Boerman, Otto C, Bussink, Johan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - pharmacokinetics; Autoradiography; Carbonic Anhydrase IX - analysis; Cell Hypoxia; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Head and Neck Neoplasms - enzymology; Humans; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neoplasm Transplantation; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon - methods; Transplantation, Heterologous
• ISSN: 0167-8140; 1879-0887
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2017.07.025

Hypoxia is a major cause of radio- and chemoresistance. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is an endogenous hypoxia-related marker and an important prognostic marker. Assessment of CAIX expression may allow patient selection for hypoxia or CAIX-targeted treatment. The radioactive tracer In-girentuximab-F(ab') targets CAIX and can be used for SPECT imaging. Aim of this study was to validate and optimize In-girentuximab-F(ab') for imaging of CAIX expression in head and neck tumor xenografts. Affinity and internalization kinetics of In-girentuximab-F(ab') were determined in vitro using CAIX-expressing SK-RC-52 cells. Tumor targeting characteristics were determined in athymic mice with six different head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCNij) xenografts. Tracer uptake was measured by ex vivo radioactivity counting. Intratumoral distribution of tracer uptake was measured using autoradiography and CAIX expression was determined immunohistochemically. 26% of the tracer was internalized into the SK-RC-52 cells within 24h. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC ) was 0.69±0.08nM. In biodistribution studies SCCNij153 tumors showed the highest tracer uptake: 4.1±0.8ID/g at 24h p.i. Immunohistochemical and autoradiographic analyses of the xenografts showed a distinct spatial correlation between localization of the tracer and CAIX expression. In-girentuximab-F(ab') has a high affinity for CAIX. In vivo tumor uptake correlated strongly with CAIX expression in different head and neck xenografts. These results suggest that In-girentuximab-F(ab') is a promising tracer for imaging of hypoxia-related CAIX expression.