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In Vivo Imaging of Methionine Aminopeptidase II for Prostate Cancer Risk Stratification
Jinghang Xie1, Meghan A Rice2, Zixin Chen3
1Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Cancer Research
|February 27, 2021
Summary
Methionine aminopeptidase II (MetAP2) is a new biomarker for aggressive prostate cancer. A novel PET imaging tracer was developed to monitor MetAP2 activity in vivo, aiding in early risk stratification and treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomarker Discovery
- Molecular Imaging
Background:
- Prostate cancer lacks effective prognostic risk stratification tools.
- Methionine aminopeptidase II (MetAP2) is a druggable target in cancer.
- Identifying new biomarkers and imaging technologies is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the expression pattern of MetAP2 in prostate cancer.
- To develop a novel PET imaging tracer for MetAP2 activity.
- To evaluate the tracer's efficacy in risk stratification and treatment monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of radical prostatectomy specimens from 422 patients.
- Development of a MetAP2-activated PET imaging tracer using controlled self-assembly.
- In vivo imaging of prostate cancer xenografts using micro-PET/CT.
Main Results:
- MetAP2 was highly expressed in both low-grade (54%) and high-grade (59%) prostate cancers.
- Elevated MetAP2 levels correlated with shorter recurrence times.
- The novel PET tracer successfully differentiated MetAP2 activity in vivo.
Conclusions:
- MetAP2 serves as an early-risk stratifier for aggressive prostate cancer.
- The developed PET tracer enables noninvasive monitoring of MetAP2 activity.
- This technology can aid in early risk stratification and monitoring therapeutic response to MetAP2 inhibitors.
