Antibody Guided Molecular Imaging of Infective Endocarditis

In this protocol, we describe the application of using a high affinity monoclonal antibody generated against the major pilin protein component of the pilin structure of Enterococcus faecalis as a PET imaging agent for enterococcal endocarditis detection. The anti-pilin -mAb 64Cu conjugate was able to specifically label enterococcal endocarditis vegetation in vivo in a rodent endocarditis model. By targeting pili, a covalently linked surface antigen extending from the bacterial surface, we provided evidence that gram-positive pilin represent a logical surface antigen to define or target an infectious agent for molecularly guided imaging. Our goal in providing a detailed protocol of our efforts is to enable others to build upon this methodology to answer pertinent translational and basic research questions in the pursuit of diagnosis and treatment of infective endocarditis.