Abundant in vitro expression of the oncofetal ED-B-containing fibronectin translates into selective pharmacodelivery of 131I-L19SIP in a prostate cancer patient

Purpose: The extradomain B of fibronectin (ED-B) is a promising vascular target for selective pharmacodelivery in cancer patients. We analyzed a large series of prostatectomies from patients with prostate cancer, hyperplastic prostate disease, and normal prostates to study extent and tumor-selectivity of ED-B expression. Methods: Using immunohistology, 68 adenocarcinomas of the prostate or prostate cancer-inflicted lymph nodes, 4 samples of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and 6 normal prostate glands were studied for ED-B expressing newly formed blood vessels. Further, we treated an advanced prostate cancer patient with the anti-ED-B antibody 131I-L19SIP to study in vivo target accessibility. Results: ED-B-positive blood vessels were found significantly more frequent in prostate cancers as compared with peritumoral prostate tissues or normal prostate glands, independent of tumor differentiation. The ED-B-positive blood vessels' density was 97 (±23), 65 (±9), and 59 (±9)/mm2 in G3, G2, and G1 prostate cancers, respectively, and 7 (±5)/mm2 in normal prostate glands. In high-grade (G3) prostate cancers, also the peritumoral tissue showed a higher density of ED-B vessels than normal prostate glands. Similar results were obtained when ED-B-positive vessel density was expressed as a fraction of CD34-positive vessel density. Finally, selective uptake of ED-B-binding 131I-L19SIP to tumor lesions was found in an advanced prostate cancer patient by whole-body planar scintigraphy. Conclusions: ED-B-positive blood vessels were found to a large extent in prostate cancer tissues, but only rarely in normal prostates or benign prostatic hyperplasia. Whole-body planar scintigraphy in a prostate cancer patient confirmed selective uptake of 131I-L19SIP in the prostate cancer tissues, qualifying ED-B as a promising target for selective pharmacodelivery of anticancer agents in prostate cancer. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.