In Vivo Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Infections Using Radiolabeled Antibodies Specific for Bacterial Toxins

The Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacterium is one of the leading causes of infection in humans. The lack of specific noninvasive techniques for diagnosis of staphylococcal infection together with the severity of its associated complications support the need for new specific and selective diagnostic tools. This work presents the successful synthesis of an immunotracer that targets the α-toxin released by S. aureus.

[⁸⁹Zr]Zr-DFO-ToxAb was synthesized based on radiolabeling an anti-α-toxin antibody with zirconium-89. The physicochemical characterization of the immunotracer was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), radio-thin layer chromatography (radio-TLC), and electrophoretic analysis. Its diagnostic ability was evaluated in vivo by positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in an animal model of local infection-inflammation (active S. aureus vs. heat-killed S. aureus) and infective osteoarthritis.

Chemical characterization of the tracer established the high radiochemical yield and purity of the tracer while maintaining antibody integrity. In vivo PET/CT image confirmed the ability of the tracer to detect active foci of S. aureus. Those results were supported by ex vivo biodistribution studies, autoradiography, and histology, which confirmed the ability of [⁸⁹Zr]Zr-DFO-ToxAb to detect staphylococcal infectious foci, avoiding false-positives derived from inflammatory processes.

We have developed an immuno-PET tracer capable of detecting S. aureus infections based on a radiolabeled antibody specific for the staphylococcal alpha toxins. The in vivo assessment of [⁸⁹Zr]Zr-DFO-ToxAb confirmed its ability to selectively detect staphylococcal infectious foci, allowing us to discern between infectious and inflammatory processes.