ImmunoPET Imaging of Endogenous and Transfected Prolactin Receptor Tumor Xenografts

Antibodies labeled with positron-emitting isotopes have been used for tumor detection, predicting which patients may respond to tumor antigen-directed therapy, and assessing pharmacodynamic effects of drug interventions. Prolactin receptor (PRLR) is overexpressed in breast and prostate cancers and is a new target for cancer therapy. We evaluated REGN2878, an anti-PRLR monoclonal antibody, as an immunoPET reagent. REGN2878 was labeled with Zr-89 after conjugation with desferrioxamine B or labeled with I-131/ I-124. In vitro determination of the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of parental REGN2878, DFO- REGN2878, and iodinated REGN2878 was performed by examining the effect of the increasing amounts of these on uptake of trace-labeled I-131 REGN2878. REGN1932, a non-PRLR binding antibody, was used as a control. Imaging and biodistribution studies were performed in mice bearing tumor xenografts with various expression levels of PRLR, including MCF-7, transfected MCF-7/PRLR, PC3, and transfected PC3/PRLR and T4D7v11 cell lines. The specificity of uptake in tumors was evaluated by comparing Zr-89 REGN2878 and REGN1932, and in vivo competition compared Zr-89 REGN2878 uptake in tumor xenografts with and without prior injection of 2 mg of nonradioactive REGN2878. The competition binding assay of DFO-REGN2878 at ratios of 3.53–5.77 DFO per antibody showed IC50 values of 0.4917 and 0.7136 nM, respectively, compared to 0.3455 nM for parental REGN2878 and 0.3343 nM for I-124 REGN2878. Imaging and biodistribution studies showed excellent targeting of Zr-89 REGN2878 in PRLR-positive xenografts at delayed times of 189 h (presented as mean ± 1 SD, percent injected activity per mL (%IA/mL) 74.6 ± 33.8%IA/mL). In contrast, MCF-7/PRLR tumor xenografts showed a low uptake (7.0 ± 2.3%IA/mL) of control Zr-89 REGN1932 and a very low uptake and rapid clearance of I-124 REGN2878 (1.4 ± 0.6%IA/mL). Zr-89 REGN2878 has excellent antigen-specific targeting in various PRLR tumor xenograft models. We estimated, using image-based kinetic modeling, that PRLR antigen has a very rapid in vivo turnover half-life of ~14 min from the cell membrane. Despite relatively modest estimated tumor PRLR expression numbers, PRLR-expressing cells have shown final retention of the Zr-89 REGN2878 antibody, with an uptake that appeared to be related to PRLR expression. This reagent has the potential to be used in clinical trials targeting PRLR.