Design of a Fibroblast Activation Protein-Targeted Radiopharmaceutical Therapy with High Tumor-to-Healthy-Tissue Ratios

Abstract

Because of upregulated expression on cancer-associated fibroblasts, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) has emerged as an attractive biomarker for the imaging and therapy of solid tumors. Although many FAP ligands have already been developed for radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs), most suffer from inadequate tumor uptake, insufficient tumor residence times, or off-target accumulation in healthy tissues, suggesting a need for further improvements. Methods: A new FAP-targeted RPT with a novel ligand (FAP8-PEG₃-IP-DOTA) was designed by combining the desirable features of several previous ligand-targeted RPTs. Uptake and retention of [¹¹¹In]In or [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-FAP8-PEG₃-IP-DOTA were assessed in KB, HT29, MDA-MB-231, and 4T1 murine tumor models by radioimaging or ex vivo biodistribution analyses. Radiotherapeutic potencies and gross toxicities were also investigated by monitoring tumor growth, body weight, and tissue damage in tumor-bearing mice. Results: FAP8-PEG₃-IP-DOTA exhibited high affinity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration, 1.6 nM) and good selectivity for FAP relative to its closest homologs, prolyl oligopeptidase (half-maximal inhibitory concentration, ∼14.0 nM) and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (half-maximal inhibitory concentration, ∼860 nM). SPECT/CT scans exhibited high retention in 2 different solid tumor models and minimal uptake in healthy tissues. Quantitative biodistribution analyses revealed tumor-to-healthy-tissue ratios of more than 5 times for all major organs, and live animal studies demonstrated 65%-93% suppression of tumor growth in all 4 models tested, with minimal or no evidence of systemic toxicity. Conclusion: We conclude that [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-FAP8-PEG₃-IP-DOTA constitutes a promising and safe RPT candidate for FAPα-targeted radionuclide therapy of solid tumors.

Keywords: albumin binder; cancer-associated fibroblast; fibroblast activation protein; radionuclide therapy; tumor microenvironment.