Theragnostic Aspects and Radioimmunotherapy in Pediatric Tumors

Abstract

The use of theragnostic radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine has grown rapidly over the years to combine the diagnosis and therapy of tumors. In this review, we performed web-based and desktop literature research to investigate and explain the potential role of theragnostic imaging in pediatric oncology. We focused primarily on patients with aggressive malignancies such as neuroblastoma and brain tumors, to select patients with the highest chance of benefit from personalized therapy. Moreover, the most critical and groundbreaking applications of radioimmunotherapy in children’s oncology were examined in this peculiar context. Preliminary results showed the potential feasibility of theragnostic imaging and radioimmunotherapy in pediatric oncology. They revealed advantages in the management of the disease, thereby allowing an intra-personal approach and adding new weapons to conventional therapies.

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy and Primary Brain Tumors: An Overview

“…Optical pathway glioma is most frequent in children and is a rare astrocytic tumor (3-5% of all pediatric intracranial tumors) [106]. As concerns treatment, surgery is usually complicated, and the main options are often radiotherapy and chemotherapy [1]. In this context, it is very important to highlight the possible role of GRPR-targeted therapy in these tumors, as underlined in an interesting study by Zhang et al In fact, the authors showed the feasibility of 68 Ga-NOTA-AcaBBN (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14) PET in eight children with optical pathway glioma, and all lesions showed high uptake of the radiopharmaceutical [107].…”

“…Primary brain tumors (PBTs) make up about 2% of all cancers, and they may be divided into benign and malignant [ 1 , 2 ]. In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified PBTs based on their histological aggressiveness with a grading scheme (from I to IV).…”

“…In this way, it is possible to hit more than one cancer cell per decay event (crossfire effect). It is also possible to couple the radionuclide to a selective targeting portion to target and kill cancer cells that express specific receptors, increasing the effectiveness of killing cancer cells without increasing off-target toxicity [ 1 ]. Several compounds may be marked with radionuclides, with chemical, immunological or molecular targets [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Medical Imaging in the Diagnosis of Schistosomiasis: A Review

“…Beyond 18 F-FDG, other PET tracers are commonly used in the evaluation of infections and inflammations: an example is represented by radiolabeled somatostatin analogues, radiopharmaceuticals that bind somatostatin receptors with high affinity [ 86 , 87 , 88 ]. Theoretically, we may suppose the applicability of these PET tracers in the assessment of inflammatory status induced by schistosome infection (it is well-demonstrated that somatostatin receptors are expressed by inflammatory cells) [ 89 ].…”

Interventional Techniques for Bone and Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Tumors: Current Practices and Future Directions – Part II. Stabilization

“…Traditionally this was used for successfully delivering molecular radiotherapy, primarily in advanced metastatic prostate and breast cancer as well as in pediatric tumors. [55][56][57][58] Bone-seeking hybrid nanoparticles carrying anticancer drugs allow for more efficient drug delivery. 59,60 They can be deposited using image-guided interventions and then activated to enhance their effects, or they can be manipulated in a noninvasive fashion in case of binding the drugs to nanoparticles with ferromagnetic properties and utilizing MR, 60,61 or even via nanorobots.…”