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Abstract
Molecular imagings of hEGF receptor 2 (HER2) using radiolabeled tracers has the potential to determine the extent of HER2-positive disease and could be of great clinical value. HER2 overexpression affects 20–25% of breast cancer patients, conferring a worse prognosis. HER2 status determines choice and response to therapy but can change in response to treatment and during disease progression. Anti-HER2 agents in development for molecular imaging include immunoglobulins (trastuzumab and pertuzumab), immunoglobulin fragments, F(ab´)2, diabodies, nanobodies and nonimmunoglobulin scaffolds, affibody and designed ankyrin-repeat proteins. Clinical assessment of radiolabeled trastuzumab and anti-HER2 affibody molecule demonstrated potential to identify new lesions but both agents lacked sensitivity and highlighted the need for improved pharmacokinetics. New tracers in the pipeline showed preclinical promise and could potentially improve sensitivity.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors are grateful for the support they have received from the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for HER imaging and molecular interaction mapping in breast cancer (Imagint EC GRANT: 259881) and the Breast Cancer Campaign to develop the G3 DARPin for clinical application. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.