177Lu-RM26: A novel targeted therapy to overcome treatment resistance in breast cancer

We have recently developed a receptor-targeted radiopharmaceutical pair (55Co/177Lu-RM26) targeting the Gastrin Releasing Peptide Receptor (GRPR), which is overexpressed in breast cancer . We have already demonstrated that the overexpression of GRPR on the cancer cells can be visualized by PET imaging using 55Co-RM26, and these scans can be used to predict the effect of the targeted radiotherapy (using 177Lu-RM26) in a mouse model of breast cancer.
We hypothesize that our novel therapeutic radiopharmaceutical, 177Lu-RM26, can overcome breast cancer treatment resistance and, thus, significantly prolong the survival of tumor-bearing mice compared to the standard-of-care treatment.
If proven successful at the preclinical stage, we aim for a rapid clinical translation of the proposed theranostic approach. Ultimately, the outcome of this study will lead to the development of a new therapeutic strategy that can overcome the treatment resistance observed in women with estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer receiving the current standard-of-care treatment, revolutionizing the therapy of this disease. Hence, success will have substantial societal, clinical, and economic benefits.

Ny målrettet radioaktiv behandling af brystkræft

Behandlingsresistens ved brystkræft er et komplekst problem, hvor nogle patienter mister gavn af deres behandling over tid og kræften spreder sig uhindret.
I vores forskningsgruppe undersøger vi en ny målrettet kræftbehandling med radioaktive biomolekyler. Princippet går ud på, at man indsprøjter et radioaktivt biomolekyle i patientens blodåre. Biomolekylet kan præcist finde og bestråle kræftcellerne, da det kan genkende en receptor, der er overudtrykt på kræftcellerne. Da det primært er kræftceller som rammes skånes det alm. raske væv og bivirkninger minimeres.

I dette projekt ønsker vi at afprøve det nye radioaktive biomolekyle 177Lu-RM26 til behandling af resistent brystkræft i mus. Vores tidligere forskning har vist at 177Lu-RM26 effektiv dræber kræftcellerne i laboratoriet og det kan opspore brystkræft i mus via en PET/CT scanning. Så nu håber vi at dette vigtige studie kan vise at 177Lu-RM26 også kan dræbe de resistente kræftceller i levende mus og med et minimum af bivirkninger.