Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a potential peptide radiopharmaceutical for detection of brain tumors, because many human gliomas overexpress the EGF receptor (EGFR). The transport of EGF to the brain, however, is restricted by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of the present study was to develop a vector-mediated brain delivery system for radiolabeled EGF. Human EGF was monobiotinylated with NHS-PEG3400-biotin, where NHS is N-hydroxysuccinimide and PEG3400 is poly(ethylene glycol) of 3400 Da molecular mass. EGF-PEG3400-biotin was radiolabeled with either 125I or 111In through the metal chelator, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). The radiolabeled EGF was then conjugated to a BBB delivery vector comprised of a complex of the OX26 monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the rat transferrin receptor, which was coupled to streptavidin (SA). Following intravenous injection in rats, the 125I conjugate was rapidly degraded in vivo, while the 111In conjugate was metabolically stable. The brain delivery of [111In]DTPA-EGF-PEG3400-biotin was enabled by conjugation with OX26/SA and was optimized by co-injection of unlabeled EGF to saturate EGF receptors in the liver. The specific binding of the [111In]DTPA-EGF-PEG3400-biotin conjugated to OX26/SA to the EGF receptor was confirmed in C6 rat glioma cells, which had been transfected with a gene encoding for the human EGF receptor under the regulation of a dexamethasone-inducible promoter. In vivo studies of C6-EGFR experimental tumors in Fischer 344 rats demonstrated successful brain imaging only when the peptide radiopharmaceutical was conjugated to the BBB delivery system, although the C6-EGFR tumors did not express EGFR in vivo. In conclusion, these studies describe the molecular formulation of a peptide radiopharmaceutical that can be used for imaging brain tumors behind the BBB.

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Human brain gliomas overexpress the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF), and radiolabeled EGF is a potential peptide radiopharmaceutical for imaging human brain tumors, should this peptide be made transportable through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. Peptide drug delivery to the brain may be facilitated by conjugating peptide radiopharmaceuticals to BBB drug delivery vectors such as the OX26 monoclonal antibody (MAb), which undergoes receptor-mediated transcytosis through the BBB via the brain capillary endothelial transferrin receptor. EGF was biotinylated with NHS-XX-biotin, where NHS = N-hydroxysuccinimide and -XX- = bis (aminohexanoyl) spacer arm. The [125I]EGF-XX-biotin rapidly bound to C6 rat glioma cells transfected with the human EGF receptor. However, no binding to the C6 EGF receptor was detected when the [125I]EGF-XX-biotin was bound to a conjugate of streptavidin (SA) and the OX26 MAb. An alternative linker strategy using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) of 3400 Da molecular mass (PEG3400) was evaluated, wherein EGF was monobiotinylated with NHS-PEG3400-biotin. Attachment of the [125I]EGF-PEG3400-biotin to the OX26/SA conjugate did not impair binding of the construct to the EGF receptor in C6 glioma cells. The length of the -PEG- spacer arm and the -XX- spacer arm was >200 atoms and 14 atoms, respectively. These studies demonstrate that the use of the extended PEG linker releases steric hindrance of MAb transport vectors on binding of EGF to its cognate receptor on glioma cells. Attachment of EGF peptide radiopharmaceuticals to BBB drug delivery systems such as the OX26 MAb using extended PEG linkers allows for retention of the bifunctionality of the conjugate with binding to both EGF and transferrin receptors.

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