Researchers have discovered a chemical compound that illuminates treatment-resistant cancers in imaging scans, marking a significant advancement that could assist medical professionals in more effectively targeting and managing cancer.
Researchers have discovered a chemical compound that illuminates treatment-resistant cancers in imaging scans, marking a significant advancement that could assist medical professionals in more effectively targeting and managing cancer.
The researchers from King’s College London explain that a radiotracer — a compound injected for use in PET scans — may help doctors determine whether a patient’s aggressive cancer is likely to respond to chemotherapy before treatment begins. This could spare patients from unnecessary procedures and instead offer alternative options that maximize their chances of overcoming the illness.
The article, published in Nature Communications, reveals that therapy-resistant non-small cell lung cancer tumors “lit up like a Christmas tree” on PET scans when the radiotracer was administered.
Tim Witney, a Molecular Imaging Professor at King’s College London and the study’s lead researcher, stated: “Currently, there is no rapid and early way to determine if malignant tumors are resistant to treatment. Time is critical for patients with lung cancer, as many cannot wait to find out if chemotherapy is effective. We aimed to extend the treatment options for these patients, enhancing both their choices and their survival chances.”
Non-small cell lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of lung cancer in the UK, affecting 47,000 individuals each year. Standard treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy; however, despite advancements in therapies, survival rates have not seen significant improvement over the last decade.
Typically, lung cancer patients begin their treatment, such as chemotherapy, and then wait twelve weeks for a CT or PET scan to assess whether the tumor has decreased, remained unchanged, or increased in size. However, this twelve-week wait can often be too late to modify the treatment, leaving end-of-life care as the main option.
Researchers at King’s College repurposed a radiotracer, already being used in clinical trial diagnostics in the USA and South Korea, to highlight treatment-resistant tumors on PET scans. The molecule targets xCT, a protein associated with tumors that are resistant to treatment. Study images show that resistant cancer cells on PET scans appear much brighter compared to tumors that respond to treatment.
The researchers will now begin trials in humans, starting with a phase I clinical trial in January at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. This trial will involve 35 patients and utilize the total-body PET scanner at the hospital’s PET Centre to assess xCT imaging before and after treatments.
Professor Witney added: “Our research represents five years of hard work. Often, cancer patients discover too late that their current treatment is ineffective. The radiotracer 18F-FSPG attaches to the resistant cells and lights up in imaging — vividly illustrating the aggressive cancer. This approach allows us to provide the appropriate treatment to the right patient, making it more efficient for the NHS and offering hope for individuals with aggressive tumors.”
Additionally, the paper indicates that xCT can also be targeted by an antibody-drug conjugate, a new category of drug aimed at selectively eradicating therapy-resistant cancer cells while minimizing adverse side effects. Although research is still in its initial phases, the authors are optimistic that this could provide new hope for patients suffering from the most aggressive and challenging cancers, including lung, pancreatic, and breast cancers.
This study was funded through a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship and by UKRI under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding initiative.
