Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging of Tumor Cell Death Using Zirconium-89-Labeled APOMAB® Following Cisplatin Chemotherapy in Lung and Ovarian Cancer Xenograft Models

PURPOSE: Early detection of tumor treatment responses represents an unmet clinical need with no approved noninvasive methods. DAB4, or its chimeric derivative, chDAB4 (APOMAB®) is an antibody that targets the Lupus associated antigen (La/SSB). La/SSB is over-expressed in malignancy and selectively targeted by chDAB4 in cancer cells dying from DNA-damaging treatment. Therefore, chDAB4 is a unique diagnostic tool that detects dead cancer cells and thus could distinguish between treatment responsive and nonresponsive patients. PROCEDURES: In clinically relevant tumor models, mice bearing subcutaneous xenografts of human ovarian or lung cancer cell lines or intraperitoneal ovarian cancer xenografts were untreated or given chemotherapy followed 24h later by chDAB4 radiolabeled with [(89)Zr]Zr(IV). Tumor responses were monitored using bioluminescence imaging and caliper measurements. [(89)Zr]Zr-chDAB4 uptake in tumor and normal tissues was measured using an Albira SI Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) imager and its biodistribution was measured using a Hidex gamma-counter. RESULTS: Tumor uptake of [(89)Zr]Zr-chDAB4 was detected in untreated mice, and uptake significantly increased in both human lung and ovarian tumors after chemotherapy, but not in normal tissues. CONCLUSION: Given that tumors, rather than normal tissues, were targeted after chemotherapy, these results support the clinical development of chDAB4 as a radiodiagnostic imaging agent and as a potential predictive marker of treatment response. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11307-021-01620-1.