Angiogenesis Imaging Using (68)Ga-RGD PET/CT: Therapeutic Implications

Angiogenesis imaging is important for diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of various malignant and nonmalignant diseases. The Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence has been known to bind with the αvβ3 integrin that is expressed on the surface of angiogenic blood vessels or tumor cells. Thus, various radiolabeled derivatives of RGD peptides have been developed for angiogenesis imaging. Among the various radionuclides, (68)Ga was the most widely studied for RGD peptide imaging because of its excellent nuclear physical properties, easy-to-label chemical properties, and cost-effectiveness owing to the availability of a (68)Ge-(68)Ga generator. Thus, various (68)Ga-labeled RGD derivatives have been developed and applied for preclinical and clinical studies. Clinical trials were performed for both malignant and nonmalignant diseases. Breast cancer, glioma, and lung cancer were malignant, and myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, and moyamoya disease were nonmalignant among the investigated diseases. Further, these (68)Ga-labeled RGD derivatives could be applied to assess the effects of antiangiogenic treatment or theragnosis or both, of cancers. In conclusion, the angiogenesis imaging technology using (68)Ga-labeled RGD derivatives might be useful for the development of new therapeutic assessments, and for diagnostic and theragnostic applications.