Title:Theranostic Radiopharmaceuticals Targeting Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Volume: 14
Issue: 4
Author(s): Fedor Zhuravlev*
Affiliation:
- Department of Health Technologies Frederiksborgvej 399, Technical University of Denmark, Hevesy Laboratory, Building 202, 4000 Roskilde,Denmark
Keywords:
Cancer-associated fibroblasts, theranostics, radionuclide therapy, imaging, tumor microenvironment, CAF, FAPI,
PET.
Abstract: The tumor microenvironment is a dynamic ecosystem where malignant cells interact
with the stromal cells sustaining and promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts
(CAFs) are the major component of tumor stroma. CAFs control key tumorigenic activities
by participating in immune evasion and suppression, extracellular matrix remodeling, neo-angiogenesis,
and drug resistance. Therefore, targeting CAFs emerges as an attractive anti-cancer
strategy. This review summarized recent advancements in targeting CAFs with diagnostic and therapeutic
radiopharmaceuticals using clinically-promising biomarkers. The efforts to improve clinical
outcomes via the application of new radiotheranostic compounds are discussed in the context of
radionuclide, the pharmacophore, and, more generally, in terms of biomarker specificity and expression
across different cancers and CAF phenotypes.
