Copper-64-immunoPET imaging: bench to bedside.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Molecular Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Positron emission tomography (PET) is a key non-invasive imaging tool for disease diagnosis, particularly cancer.
• ImmunoPET probes, comprising antibodies tagged with positron radioisotopes (e.g., ⁶⁴Cu, ⁸⁹Zr) via bifunctional chelators (BFCs), are designed for specific disease identification.
• Recent FDA approvals of oncology antibodies for immunotherapy have spurred immunoPET research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications and pipelines of Copper-64 (⁶⁴Cu) based immunoPET.
• To elucidate the emerging scope of ⁶⁴Cu immunoPET in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.
• To discuss the transition of immunoPET from preclinical research to clinical application ('bench to bedside').

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on ⁶⁴Cu immunoPET applications and development.
• Analysis of preclinical and clinical studies utilizing ⁶⁴Cu and other isotopes (e.g., ⁸⁹Zr).
• Discussion of challenges and future directions in immunoPET probe design and clinical translation.

Main Results:

• ImmunoPET studies, especially those using ⁶⁴Cu and ⁸⁹Zr, demonstrate promising results in both preclinical models and patients.
• ImmunoPET research has significantly increased, driven by advancements in cancer immunotherapies.
• Current challenges include probe design, radioisotope selection, BFC stability, antibody size, and tracer kinetics.

Conclusions:

• ImmunoPET, particularly with ⁶⁴Cu, holds significant potential for clinical nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.
• Overcoming challenges in probe design and optimizing imaging parameters will enhance clinical applicability.
• Future improvements in PET scanner sensitivity, probe design, and combination with targeted antibodies will facilitate personalized cancer treatment through better patient selection, dosing, and treatment timing.