title: [68Ga]Pentixafor-PET/CT for imaging of chemokine receptor 4 expression in small cell lung cancer--initial experience.
abstract: Chemokine receptor CXCR4 is a key factor for tumor growth and metastasis in several types of human cancer. This study investigated the feasibility of CXCR4-directed imaging of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using the radiolabelled chemokine ligand [68Ga]Pentixafor. 10 patients with primarily diagnosed (n=3) or pre-treated (n=7) SCLC (n=9) or large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC, n=1) underwent [68Ga]Pentixafor-PET/CT. 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG, n=6) and/or somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-directed PET/CT with [68Ga]DOTATOC (n=5) and immunohistochemistry (n=10) served as standards of reference. CXCR4-PET was positive in 8/10 patients and revealed more lesions with significantly higher tumor-to-background ratios than SSTR-PET. Two patients who were positive on [18F]FDG-PET were missed by CXCR4-PET, in the remainder [68Ga]Pentixafor detected an equal (n=2) or higher (n=2) number of lesions. CXCR4 expression of tumor lesions could be confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Non-invasive imaging of CXCR4 expression in SCLC is feasible. [68Ga]Pentixafor as a novel PET tracer might serve as readout for confirmation of CXCR4 expression as prerequisite for potential CXCR4-directed treatment including receptor-radio(drug)peptide therapy.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Constantin
authors: C
authors: Lapa
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Lückerath
authors: Institute for Pathology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Rudelius
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Jan-Stefan
authors: JS
authors: Schmid
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Caritas Hospital Bad Mergentheim, Bad Mergentheim, Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Schoene
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Schirbel
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Samnick
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Theo
authors: T
authors: Pelzer
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Andreas K
authors: AK
authors: Buck
authors: Scintomics GmbH, Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany.
authors: Saskia
authors: S
authors: Kropf
authors: Pharmaceutical Radiochemistry, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Hans-Jürgen
authors: HJ
authors: Wester
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.|Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000032:analysis*; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: C000597686:68Ga-pentixafor; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015282:Octreotide; C106246:Edotreotide
keywords: CXCR4; PET; SCLC; molecular imaging; small cell lung cancer