{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "2f5061a0955b46b69b96e7169be63cf7", "timestamp": "2026-09-08T10:05:29.968Z", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/2f5061a0955b46b69b96e7169be63cf7.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/2f5061a0955b46b69b96e7169be63cf7"}}, "title": "Preclinical Evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377: A Promising Affibody-Based Probe for Noninvasive PET Imaging of EGFR Expression in Tumors.", "authors": [{"family": "Oroujeni", "given": "Maryam", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Garousi", "given": "Javad", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Andersson", "given": "Ken G", "initials": "KG"}, {"family": "L\u00f6fblom", "given": "John", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "Mitran", "given": "Bogdan", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Orlova", "given": "Anna", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0001-6120-2683", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/1c374f429702489494c05f84f298b4b7.json"}}, {"family": "Tolmachev", "given": "Vladimir", "initials": "V", "orcid": "0000-0002-6122-1734", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/896ae9fae8b74251afe11b4354c62794.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2018-09-18", "journal": {"title": "Cells", "issn": "2073-4409", "volume": "7", "issue": "9", "issn-l": "2073-4409"}, "abstract": "Radionuclide imaging of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in tumors may stratify patients for EGFR-targeting therapies and predict response or resistance to certain treatments. Affibody molecules, which are nonimmunoglobulin scaffold proteins, have a high potential as probes for molecular imaging. In this study, maleimido derivative of desferrioxamine B (DFO) chelator was site-specifically coupled to the C-terminal cysteine of the anti-EGFR affibody molecule ZEGFR:2377, and the DFO-ZEGFR:2377 conjugate was labeled with the generator-produced positron-emitting radionuclide 68Ga. Stability, specificity of binding to EGFR-expressing cells, and processing of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 by cancer cells after binding were evaluated in vitro. In vivo studies were performed in nude mice bearing human EGFR-expressing A431 epidermoid cancer xenografts. The biodistribution of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 was directly compared with the biodistribution of [89Zr]Zr-DFO-ZEGFR:2377.\n\n2377 was efficiently (isolated yield of 73 \u00b1 3%) and stably labeled with 68Ga. Binding of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 to EGFR-expressing cells in vitro was receptor-specific and proportional to the EGFR expression level. In vivo saturation experiment demonstrated EGFR-specific accumulation of [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 in A431 xenografts. Compared to [89Zr]Zr-DFO-ZEGFR:2377, [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 demonstrated significantly (p < 0.05) higher uptake in tumors and lower uptake in spleen and bones. This resulted in significantly higher tumor-to-organ ratios for [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377. In conclusion, [68Ga]Ga-DFO-ZEGFR:2377 is a promising probe for imaging of EGFR expression.", "doi": "10.3390/cells7090141", "pmid": "30231504", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC6162391"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "cells7090141"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-21T13:02:17.266Z", "modified": "2026-08-21T13:02:17.303Z"}