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Review
. 2024 Aug 20;16(16):2896.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16162896.

Radioimmunotheragnosis in Cancer Research

Guillermo Garaulet  1 , Bárbara Beatriz Báez  1 , Guillermo Medrano  1 , María Rivas-Sánchez  2 , David Sánchez-Alonso  2 , Jorge L Martinez-Torrecuadrada  2 , Francisca Mulero  1
Affiliations
Review

Radioimmunotheragnosis in Cancer Research

Guillermo Garaulet et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

The combination of immunoPET-where an antibody (Ab) is labeled with an isotope for PET imaging-and radioimmunotherapy (RIT), using the same antibody with a therapeutic isotope, offers significant advantages in cancer management. ImmunoPET allows non-invasive imaging of antigen expression, which aids in patient selection for subsequent radioimmunotherapy. It also facilitates the assessment of tumor response to therapy, allowing for treatment adjustments if necessary. In addition, immunoPET provides critical pharmacokinetic data, including antibody biodistribution and clearance rates, which are essential for dosimetry calculations and treatment protocol optimization. There are still challenges to overcome. Identifying appropriate target antigens that are selectively expressed on cancer cells while minimally expressed on normal tissues remains a major hurdle to reduce off-target toxicity. In addition, it is critical to optimize the pharmacokinetics of radiolabeled antibodies to maximize tumor uptake and minimize normal tissue uptake, particularly in vital organs such as the liver and kidney. This approach offers the potential for targeted and personalized cancer therapy with reduced systemic toxicity by exploiting the specificity of monoclonal antibodies and the cytotoxic effects of radiation. However, further research is needed to address remaining challenges and to optimize these technologies for clinical use.

Keywords: immunoPET; nuclear medicine; oncology; radioimmunotherapy; theragnosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Different types of antibodies and their molecular weight (Created with BioRender.com).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Coronal projection of 68Ga NOTA-3CMP75 nanobody imaging in a Triple Negative Breast Cancer tumor model (A). Axial view showing the high and specific probe uptake (B). Tumor MT1 MMP immunohistochemistry denoting extensive target expression (C). Arrows indicate the xenografted tumor.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Example of (A) immunoPET imaging before and (C) after RIT with the same compound showing the decrease of activity after therapy in metastatic lymph nodes. (B) shows the way the therapeutic agent finds the antigen. (Created with BioRender.com).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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