Abstract
Radioimmunoconjugates targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) have shown potential to noninvasively visualize HER2-positive tumors. However, the stochastic approach that has been traditionally used to radiolabel these antibodies yields poorly defined and heterogeneous products with suboptimal in vivo performance. Here, we describe a first-in-human PET study on patients with HER2-positive breast cancer evaluating the safety, biodistribution, and dosimetry of (89)Zr-site-specific (ss)-pertuzumab PET, a site-specifically labeled radioimmunoconjugate designed to circumvent the limitations of random stochastic lysine labeling. Methods: Six patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial. Pertuzumab was site-specifically modified with desferrioxamine (DFO) via a novel chemoenzymatic strategy and subsequently labeled with (89)Zr. Patients were administered 74 MBq of (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab in 20 mg of total antibody intravenously and underwent PET/CT at 1 d, 3-4 d, and 5-8 d after injection. PET imaging, whole-body probe counts, and blood draws were performed to assess the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and dosimetry. Results: (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab PET/CT was used to assess HER2 status and heterogeneity to guide biopsy and decide the next line of treatment at progression. The radioimmunoconjugate was able to detect known sites of malignancy, suggesting that these tumor lesions were HER2-positive. The optimal imaging time point was 5-8 d after administration, and no toxicities were observed. Dosimetry estimates from OLINDA showed that the organs receiving the highest doses (mean ± SD) were kidney (1.8 ± 0.5 mGy/MBq), liver (1.7 ± 0.3 mGy/MBq), and heart wall (1.2 ± 0.1 mGy/MBq). The average effective dose for (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab was 0.54 ± 0.03 mSv/MBq, which was comparable to both stochastically lysine-labeled (89)Zr-DFO-pertuzumab and (89)Zr-DFO-trastuzumab. One patient underwent PET/CT with both (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab and (89)Zr-DFO-pertuzumab 1 mo apart, with (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab demonstrating improved lesion detection and higher tracer avidity. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the safety, dosimetry, and potential clinical applications of (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab PET/CT. (89)Zr-ss-pertuzumab may detect more lesions than (89)Zr-DFO-pertuzumab. Potential clinical applications include real-time evaluation of HER2 status to guide biopsy and assist in treatment decisions.