ImmunoPET In Cancer Models

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring response to treatment in a variety of cancers. Recent efforts have focused on ImmunoPET, which employs antibody-based radiotracers, to image tumors based on expression of tumor-associated antigens. It is postulated that the specificity afforded by antibody targeting should both improve tumor detection and provide phenotypic information related to primary and metastatic lesions that will guide therapy decisions. Advances in antibody-engineering are providing the tools to develop antibody-based molecules with pharmacokinetic properties optimized for use as immunoPET radiotracers. Coupled with technical advances in the design of PET scanners, immunoPET holds promise to improve diagnostic imaging and to guide the use of targeted therapies. An overview of the preclinical immunoPET studies in cancer models is reviewed here.