title: Imaging tumor burden in the brain with 89Zr-transferrin.
abstract: A noninvasive technology that indiscriminately detects tumor tissue in the brain could substantially enhance the management of primary or metastatic brain tumors. Although the documented molecular heterogeneity of diseases that initiate or eventually deposit in the brain may preclude identifying a single smoking-gun molecular biomarker, many classes of brain tumors are generally avid for transferrin. Therefore, we reasoned that applying a radiolabeled derivative of transferrin ((89)Zr-labeled transferrin) may be an effective strategy to more thoroughly identify tumor tissue in the brain, regardless of the tumor's genetic background.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transferrin was radiolabeled with (89)Zr, and its properties with respect to human models of glioblastoma multiforme were studied in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this report, we show proof of concept that (89)Zr-labeled transferrin ((89)Zr-transferrin) localizes to genetically diverse models of glioblastoma multiforme in vivo. Moreover, we demonstrate that (89)Zr-transferrin can detect an orthotopic lesion with exceptional contrast. Finally, the tumor-to-brain contrast conferred by (89)Zr-transferrin vastly exceeded that observed with (18)F-FDG, currently the most widely used radiotracer to assess tumor burden in the brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study suggest that (89)Zr-transferrin could be a broadly applicable tool for identifying and monitoring tumors in the brain, with realistic potential for near-term clinical translation.
authors.affiliation: Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Jason P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Samuel L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cheal
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Sean D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Carlin
authors.forename: Ingo K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Mellinghoff
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sawyers
authors.forename: Jason S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014168:Transferrin; D047368:Tumor Burden; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D014168:Transferrin; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015040:Zirconium