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Research Project

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Unfortunately, no curative treatment exists for metastatic breast cancer. Early diagnosis of breast cancer provides the patients the best opportunities for cures or prolonged survival. Current [¹⁸F]FDG (2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose) PET (positron emission tomography) imaging has limited use by relatively low sensitivity and specificity. Novel and more effective imaging probes are urgently needed to improve the detection accuracy of primary, metastatic and recurrent breast cancers.

Our strategy to improve the detection accuracy for breast cancer focuses on developing novel ¹¹¹In-labeled gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) peptides to target the GnRH receptors. GnRH receptor is a distinct molecular target in this project for developing more effective breast cancer-specific imaging probes due to its over-expression on human breast cancer cells and specimens. Our central hypothesis is that the GnRH peptides can selectively bind the GnRH receptors on human breast cancer cells and specifically target radionuclides to human breast cancer cells for breast cancer imaging. We will synthesize and evaluate a series of novel ¹¹¹In-labeled GnRH peptides in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and xenografts in this project.

Our central hypothesis is original and novel demonstrated by the fact that no radiolabeled GnRH peptides have been currently reported as imaging probes for breast cancer detection in the literature. Our central hypothesis and research design are strongly supported by our positive preliminary results. Importantly, we have assembled a strong multidisciplinary research team of collaborators with established expertise that is uniquely suited carry out this exciting translational project. Positive results of our research will firstly demonstrate the feasibility of using the ¹¹¹In-labeled GnRH peptides for breast cancer imaging and provide new insight into the design of novel and more effective diagnostic and therapeutic agents for breast cancer. The successful development of ¹¹¹In-labeled GnRH peptides in this project will promote the further evaluation of ⁹⁰Y-, ¹⁷⁷Lu- and ²¹²Pb-labeled GnRH peptides for targeted radionuclide therapy of breast cancer in the future. The identification of novel effective diagnostic and therapeutic peptide radiopharmaceuticals promoted by this project will fulfill the desperate need of treatments and reduce the mortality of breast cancer.