Molecular Imaging Probes for Diagnosis and Therapy Evaluation of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer death in women where early detection and accurate assessment of therapy response can improve clinical outcomes. Molecular imaging, which includes PET, SPECT, MRI, and optical modalities, provides noninvasive means of detecting biological processes and molecular events in vivo. Molecular imaging has the potential to enhance our understanding of breast cancer biology and effects of drug action during both preclinical and clinical phases of drug development. This has led to the identification of many molecular imaging probes for key processes in breast cancer. Hormone receptors, growth factor receptor, and angiogenic factors, such as ER, PR, HER2, and VEGFR, have been adopted as imaging targets to detect and stage the breast cancer and to monitor the treatment efficacy. Receptor imaging probes are usually composed of targeting moiety attached to a signaling component such as a radionuclide that can be detected using dedicated instruments. Current molecular imaging probes involved in breast cancer diagnosis and therapy evaluation are reviewed, and future of molecular imaging for the preclinical and clinical is explained.

PET-CT Imaging in Breast Cancer Patients: New Tracers, Future Directions

“…The contribution of the over-expressed HER1 (EGFR) in the enhanced cell-proliferation in breast cancer by binding to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) or the transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) was also reported by Meng et al Therefore, antibody-based, affibody-based, or EGF-based molecular probes for EGFR imaging of breast cancer have been under investigation [53].…”

“…Some preliminary studies also showed that IGF-1R-targeted therapy in breast cancer can be monitored by imaging of IGF-1R expression [53,54]. …”

“…Integrin imaging originally based on the use of argininge-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) based radioligands. McParland et al [80] tested first the [ F-galacto-arginine-glycine-aspartic-acid ( 18 F-galacto) RGD in sixteen patients with primary ( =12) or metastatic breast cancer ( =4) and they found that all the primary tumors and metastases were clearly identified [53,81].…”

SPECT/CT imaging in breast cancer - current status and challenges

“…Coupled with partial volume effect this may lead to a deterioration in detecting smaller "hot" lesions (while doing a skeletal scintigraphy or receptor scintigraphy in breast cancer 7 or in imaging the sentinel lymph node 8 or an underestimation of "cold" regions (brain, heart 9 ). In the case of a homogeneous tissue structure (e.g.…”

Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Nanosolutions for a Big Challenge

“…Various antibodies have been proposed as suitable targeting ligands for conjugation with breast cancer molecular imaging probes. For instance, radiolabeled transtuzumab and pertuzumab antibodies targeting the HER2 cellular receptor entered clinical trials as imaging probes for PET and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging modalities 26. Moreover, anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor (anti‐EGFR) and anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (anti‐VEGFR) antibodies conjugated with fluorescent nanoparticles and ultrasound contrast agents, respectively, have been assessed 27, 28.…”