Purpose of review: The purpose of the present review is to describe new, innovative strategies of diagnosing and treating specific human cancers using a cadre of radiolabeled regulatory peptides.
Recent findings: Peptide receptor-targeted radionuclide therapy is a method of site-directed radiotherapy that specifically targets human cancers expressing a cognate receptor-subtype in very high numbers. Ideally, the procedure targets only the primary or metastatic disease and is minimally invasive, with little radiation damage to normal, collateral tissues. For treatment strategies of this type to be effective, it is critical to evaluate the toxicity of the treatment protocol, the radiation dosimetry of the therapeutic regimen, and the biological profile of the radiopharmaceutical, including biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the drug. Site-directed molecular imaging procedures via gamma-scintigraphy can address many of the critical issues associated with peptide receptor-targeted radionuclide therapy and it is, therefore, necessary to describe the effective balance between the clinical benefits and risks of this treatment strategy.
Summary: Continued development in the design or chemical structure of radiolabeled, biologically active peptides could do much to improve the targeting ability of these drugs, thereby creating new and innovative strategies for diagnosis or treatment of human cancers.