RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is aberrantly expressed on the surface of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer cells. We assessed the safety and feasibility of the DLL3-targeted imaging tracer [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 (composed of the anti-DLL3 antibody SC16.56 conjugated to p-SCN-Bn-deferoxamine [DFO] serving as a chelator for zirconium-89) in patients with neuroendocrine-derived cancer. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, first-in-human study of immunoPET-CT imaging with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56. The study was done at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. Patients aged 18 years or older with a histologically verified neuroendocrine-derived malignancy and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 were eligible. An initial cohort of patients with SCLC (cohort 1) received 37-74 MBq [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 as a single intravenous infusion at a total mass dose of 2·5 mg and had serial PET-CT scans at 1 h, day 1, day 3, and day 7 post-injection. The primary outcomes of phase 1 of the study (cohort 1) were to estimate terminal clearance half-time, determine whole organ time-integrated activity coefficients, and assess the safety of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56. An expansion cohort of additional patients (with SCLC, neuroendocrine prostate cancer, atypical carcinoid tumours, and non-small-cell lung cancer; cohort 2) received a single infusion of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 at the same activity and mass dose as in the initial cohort followed by a single PET-CT scan 3-6 days later. Retrospectively collected tumour biopsy samples were assessed for DLL3 by immunohistochemistry. The primary outcome of phase 2 of the study in cohort 2 was to determine the potential association between tumour uptake of the tracer and intratumoural DLL3 protein expression, as determined by immunohistochemistry. This study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04199741. FINDINGS: Between Feb 11, 2020, and Jan 30, 2023, 12 (67%) men and six (33%) women were enrolled, with a median age of 64 years (range 23-81). Cohort 1 included three patients and cohort 2 included 15 additional patients. Imaging of the three patients with SCLC in cohort 1 showed strong tumour-specific uptake of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 at day 3 and day 7 post-injection. Serum clearance was biphasic with an estimated terminal clearance half-time of 119 h (SD 31). The highest mean absorbed dose was observed in the liver (1·83 mGy/MBq [SD 0·36]), and the mean effective dose was 0·49 mSv/MBq (SD 0·10). In cohort 2, a single immunoPET-CT scan on day 3-6 post-administration could delineate DLL3-avid tumours in 12 (80%) of 15 patients. Tumoural uptake varied between and within patients, and across anatomical sites, with a wide range in maximum standardised uptake value (from 3·3 to 66·7). Tumour uptake by [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 was congruent with DLL3 immunohistochemistry in 15 (94%) of 16 patients with evaluable tissue. Two patients with non-avid DLL3 SCLC and neuroendocrine prostate cancer by PET scan showed the lowest DLL3 expression by tumour immunohistochemistry. One (6%) of 18 patients had a grade 1 allergic reaction; no grade 2 or worse adverse events were noted in either cohort. INTERPRETATION: DLL3 PET-CT imaging of patients with neuroendocrine cancers is safe and feasible. These results show the potential utility of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 for non-invasive in-vivo detection of DLL3-expressing malignancies. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Scannell Foundation.
Assuntos
Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Proteínas de Membrana , Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons combinada à Tomografia Computadorizada , Neoplasias da Próstata , Radioisótopos , Zircônio , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Proteínas de Membrana/imunologia , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pulmonares/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/imunologia , Neoplasias da Próstata/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias da Próstata/patologia , Neoplasias da Próstata/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias da Próstata/imunologia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/diagnóstico por imagem , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/patologia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/imunologia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/tratamento farmacológico , Feminino , Desferroxamina/química , Imunoconjugados/farmacocinética , Gradação de Tumores , Compostos Radiofarmacêuticos , Adulto , Anticorpos Monoclonais/química , Anticorpos Monoclonais/administração & dosagem , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Benzodiazepinonas , Anticorpos Monoclonais HumanizadosRESUMO
Background: Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is aberrantly expressed on the cell surface in many neuroendocrine cancers including small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Several therapeutic agents targeting DLL3 are in active clinical development. Molecular imaging of DLL3 would enable non-invasive diagnostic assessment to inform the use of DLL3-targeting therapeutics or to assess disease treatment response. Methods: We conducted a first-in-human immuno-positron emission tomography (immunoPET) imaging study of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56, composed of the anti-DLL3 antibody SC16.56 conjugated to desferrioxamine (DFO) and the positron-emitting radionuclide zirconium-89, in 18 patients with neuroendocrine cancers. An initial cohort of three patients received 1-2 mCi of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 at a total mass dose of 2·5 mg and underwent serial PET and computed tomography (CT) imaging over the course of one week. Radiotracer clearance, tumor uptake, and radiation dosimetry were estimated. An expansion cohort of 15 additional patients were imaged using the initial activity and mass dose. Retrospectively collected tumor biopsies were assessed for DLL3 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) (n = 16). Findings: Imaging of the initial 3 SCLC patients demonstrated strong tumor-specific uptake of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56, with similar tumor: background ratios at days 3, 4, and 7 post-injection. Serum clearance was bi-phasic with an estimated terminal clearance half-time of 119 h. The sites of highest background tracer uptake were blood pool and liver. The normal tissue receiving the highest radiation dose was liver; 1·8 mGy/MBq, and the effective dose was 0.49 mSv/MBq. Tumoral uptake varied both between and within patients, and across anatomic sites, with a wide range in SUVmax (from 3·3 to 66·7). Tumor uptake by [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 was associated with protein expression in all cases. Two non-avid DLL3 NEPC cases by PET scanning demonstrated the lowest DLL3 expression by tumor immunohistochemistry. Only one patient had a grade 1 allergic reaction, while no grade ≥2 adverse events noted. Interpretation: DLL3 PET imaging of patients with neuroendocrine cancers is safe and feasible. These results demonstrate the potential utility of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-SC16.56 for non-invasive in vivo detection of DLL3-expressing malignancies. Funding: Supported by NIH R01CA213448 (JTP), R35 CA263816 (CMR), U24 CA213274 (CMR), R35 CA232130 (JSL), and a Prostate Cancer Foundation TACTICAL Award (JSL), Scannell foundation. The Radiochemistry and Molecular Imaging Probes Core Facility is supported by NIH P30 CA08748.