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Peptide Based Imaging Agents for HER2 Imaging in Oncology
Maxwell Ducharme1, Suzanne E Lapi1
1Department of Radiology, 9968University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Abstract:
Breast cancer continues to be the most lethal cancer type in women and one of the most diagnosed. Understanding Breast cancer receptor status is one of the most vital processes for determining treatment options. One type of breast cancer, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive, has approved receptor-based therapies including trastuzumab and pertuzumab that can significantly increase the likelihood of survival. Current methods to determine HER2 status include biopsies with immunohistochemical staining and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization. However, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques using 89Zr-trastuzumab or 89Zr-pertuzumab are currently in clinical trials for a non-invasive, full body diagnostic approach. Although the antibodies have strong specificity to the HER2 positive lesions, challenges involving long post-injection time for imaging due to the blood circulation of the antibodies and matching of long-live isotopes leading to increased dose to the patient leave opportunities for alternative PET imaging probes. Peptides have been shown to allow for shorter injection-to-imaging time and can be used with shorter lived isotopes. HER2 specific peptides under development will help improve the diagnosis and potentially therapy options for HER2 positive breast cancer. Peptides showing specificity for HER2 could start widespread development of molecular imaging techniques for HER2 positive cancers.
Insights
New peptide-based imaging agents show promise for diagnosing HER2-positive breast cancer. These agents offer faster imaging and potentially lower radiation doses compared to current antibody-based methods.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Imaging
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women, with receptor status crucial for treatment.
- HER2-positive breast cancer benefits from targeted therapies like trastuzumab and pertuzumab.
- Current HER2 detection methods involve invasive biopsies, while PET imaging with antibodies faces challenges like long imaging times and high radiation doses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore alternative PET imaging probes for HER2-positive breast cancer.
- To investigate the potential of peptide-based imaging agents for improved diagnostics.
- To overcome limitations associated with antibody-based PET imaging in HER2-positive breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Development and evaluation of HER2-specific peptides for PET imaging.
- Comparison of peptide-based probes with existing antibody-based methods.
- Assessment of imaging time, specificity, and radiation dose.
Main Results:
- Peptides demonstrate potential for shorter injection-to-imaging times.
- Peptide-based probes can utilize shorter-lived isotopes, potentially reducing patient radiation dose.
- HER2-specific peptides offer a promising alternative for non-invasive breast cancer diagnostics.
Conclusions:
- Peptide-based molecular imaging agents represent a significant advancement for HER2-positive breast cancer diagnosis.
- These novel probes could lead to improved diagnostic accuracy and treatment selection.
- Further development of HER2-specific peptides may enable widespread adoption of advanced molecular imaging techniques.
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