Cell-SELEX aptamer for highly specific radionuclide molecular imaging of glioblastoma in vivo

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 6;9(6):e90752. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090752. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive primary adult brain tumor with poor prognosis. Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is the most common and highly oncogenic EGFR mutant in GBM. With the aim to generate specific molecular probes able to target EGFRvIII with high affinity, we selected four DNA aptamers (U2, U8, U19 and U31) specifically bound to U87-EGFRvIII cells that over expressed EGFRvIII with Kd values in the nanomole range by a cell-based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (cell-SELEX) process. U87MG cells were introduced as control cells for counter selection. We further affirmed U2 and U8 identified EGFRvIII on the surface of target cells specifically. Then we radiolabeled U2 with 188Re to serve as a molecular imaging probe and observed 188Re -labeled U2 significantly targeted EGFRvIII over-expressing glioblastoma exnografts in mice. In conclusion, aptamers obtained from whole cell-SELEX strategy have great potential as molecular imaging probes that are probably beneficial to GBM diagnoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA Probes* / genetics
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • Glioblastoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Glioblastoma / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Radiopharmaceuticals*
  • SELEX Aptamer Technique

Substances

  • DNA Probes
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • epidermal growth factor receptor VIII
  • ErbB Receptors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China (No. 30973481 and No. 81272509) and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (No. 9151051501000053 and No. 07005145). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.