title: Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) targeted nuclear imaging and radionuclide therapy.
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein. Besides regulating proteolysis, uPAR could also activate many intracellular signaling pathways that promote cell motility, invasion, proliferation, and survival through cooperating with transmembrane receptors. uPAR is overexpressed across a variety of tumors and is associated with cancer invasion and metastasis. In order to meet the demand for a rapid development and potential clinical application of anti-cancer therapy based on uPA/uPAR system, it is desirable to develop non-invasive imaging methods to visualize and quantify uPAR expression in vivo. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the development of uPAR-targeted nuclear imaging and radionuclide therapy agents. The successful development of molecular imaging probes to visualize uPAR expression in vivo would not only assist preclinical researches on uPAR function, but also eventually impact patient management.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shuanglong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Zibo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator
keywords: PET; SPECT; radionuclide therapy.; uPAR