Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Tracers for Predicting and Monitoring Cancer Therapy.

Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Tracers for Predicting and Monitoring Cancer Therapy. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2013 Dec 25; Authors: Cai J, Li F Abstract Cancer is a lethal disease, and its therapy should be tailed to individual patients by functional imaging to optimize therapy strategies. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a quantitative functional imaging modality used by oncologists to monitor tumor response. SPECT can track therapy-induced biological and metabolic changes in tumors; such changes usually precede anatomical alterations. Assessment of treatment response using SPECT tracers may result in modifications in treatment planning and predicting the long-term outcome. These SPECT tracers can be classified into metabolism, cell surface receptor, intracellular receptor, microenvironment, and apoptosis tracers. The most widely used SPECT tracers include 201Tl-thallium chloride, 67Ga-gallium citrate, 123I/131I-sodium iodide, 99mTc-MIBI, 99mTc-MDP, and 123I/131I -MIBG. Apoptosis tracers, which can directly monitor early tumor response in cancer patients and can predict the outcome, have attracted increasing attention in the field of oncology. Annexin V-based SPECT tracers, including 99mTc-BTAP-annexin V, 99mTc-HYNIC-annexin-V, 99mTc-EC-annexin-V, 99mTc-i-annexin V, and 123I-annexin V, have been evaluated in clinical trials. Novel SPECT tracers, such as radiolabeled small molecules, aptamers, peptides, and prote...
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Curr Pharm Biotechnol Source Type: research