In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a novel anti-EGFR antibody labeled with 89Zr and 177Lu

There is an urgent need to develop more specific targeted therapies for lung cancer treatment due to the its low survival rate. EGFR is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase protein that is overexpressed in lung cancer. Herein, a novel anti-EGFR antibody, 5A7, was modified with chelators for zirconium-89 (Zr-89) and lutetium-177 (Lu-177) labeling. The radiolabeled 5A7 could specifically bind to A549 tumor according to the in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Furthermore, the Lu-177 labeled 5A7 antibody could inhibit tumor growth significantly in A549 bearing xenografts. The radiolabeled anti-EGFR 5A7 antibody has high potential to be used for PET imaging and radiotherapy.