Combination of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE Targeted Radionuclide Therapy and Photothermal Therapy as a Promising Approach for Cancer Treatment: In Vivo Studies in a Human Xenograft Mouse Model

Abstract

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) relies on α- and β-emitting radionuclides bound to a peptide that commonly targets somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) for the localized killing of tumors through ionizing radiation.

A Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-based probe linked to the somatostatin analog octreotate ([177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE) is approved for the treatment of certain SSTR-expressing tumors and has been shown to improve survival.

However, a limiting factor of PRRT is the potential toxicity derived from the high doses needed to kill the tumor. This could be circumvented by combining PRRT with other treatments for an enhanced anti-tumor effect.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) relies on nanoparticle-induced hyperthermia for cancer treatment and could be a useful add-on to PRRT.

Here, we investigate a strategy combining [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE PRRT and nanoshell (NS)-based PTT for the treatment of SSTR-expressing small-cell lung tumors in mice.

Our results showed that the combination treatment improved survival compared to PRRT alone, but only when PTT was performed one day after [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE injection (one of the timepoints examined), showcasing the effect of treatment timing in relation to outcome.

Furthermore, the combination treatment was well-tolerated in the mice.

This indicates that strategies involving NS-based PTT as an add-on to PRRT could be promising and should be investigated further.

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- Publication, 2018 Jul: Over-Expression of GH/GHR in Breast Cancer and Oncosuppressor Role of Somatostatin as a Physiological Inhibitor (from Di Bella's Foundation);

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- Publication, 2019 Aug: The Entrapment of Somatostatin in a Lipid Formulation: Retarded Release and Free Radical Reactivity (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of Somatostatin and Vitamin C on the Fatty Acid Profile of Breast Cancer Cell Membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2019 Sep: Effects of somatostatin, curcumin, and quercetin on the fatty acid profile of breast cancer cell membranes (from Di Bella's Foundation);

- Publication, 2020 Sep: Two neuroendocrine G protein-coupled receptor molecules, somatostatin and melatonin: Physiology of signal transduction and therapeutic perspectives (from Di Bella's Foundation);

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