Molecular Imaging in Cancer Drug Development

Abstract

Development of new oncology drugs has increased since the improved understanding of cancer's complex biology. The oncology field has become the top therapeutic research area for new drugs. However, only a limited number of drugs entering clinical trials will be approved for use as the standard of care for cancer patients. Molecular imaging is increasingly perceived as a tool to support go/no-go decisions early during drug development. It encompasses a wide range of techniques that include radiolabeling a compound of interest followed by visualization with SPECT or PET. Radiolabeling can be performed using a variety of radionuclides, which are preferably matched to the compound on the basis of size and half-life. Imaging can provide information on drug behavior in vivo, whole-body drug target visualization, and heterogeneity in drug target expression. This review focuses on current applications of molecular imaging in the development of small molecules, antibodies, and antihormonal anticancer drugs.

Molecular imaging reveals biodistribution of P-cadherin LP-DART bispecific and trafficking of adoptively transferred T cells in mouse xenograft model

“…Such labeled reagents and tools provide very valuable information on the on-and off-target binding both in pre-clinical models and in patients. It may also provide information on potential target-mediated safety concerns that may be anticipated in patients and help in planning the mitigation strategy [20,26,27].…”

The Future of Nuclear Medicine as an Independent Specialty

“…Their utility depends on their ability to answer various clinical questions, as highlighted in Table 1. Imaging biomarkers include small molecules, peptides and peptidomimetics, and antibodies and antibody fragments (18)(19)(20)(21). Small molecules-metabolic and cell surface receptor-targeted probes-can successfully improve the management and outcome of patients affected by neurodegenerative (22), cardiovascular (23), inflammatory and infectious diseases (24), and cancer (4,5).…”

Nuclear Medicine and Wall Street: An Evolving Relationship

“…Molecular imaging with radioligand diagnostics enables real time, whole-body validation of cellular targets in a safe setting, reducing patient risk in phase 1 studies. Molecular imaging is used to ensure sufficient targeted uptake of radioligand therapies in diseased cells and is increasingly being perceived as a tool to support development decisions early in the process (16). Imaging results also provide early insight into potential patient selection criteria-which may increase the likelihood of a response to radioligand therapy-as well as information that may affect overall treatment decisions.…”

“…Dosimetry analysis from serial patient imaging supports quantification of the presence of a drug in tumor and nontumor tissues. This analysis not only accelerates understanding of the potential therapeutic opportunity for radioligand therapy but also assists in anticipating potential toxicities and providing valuable information regarding pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects (16). Nuclear medicine is unique in its ability to quantify where a drug goes in such a specific manner.…”