In Vivo SPECT Imaging with 111In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) to Detect Early Pancreatic Cancer in a Hamster Pancreatic Carcinogenesis Model

Abstract

Early detection of pancreatic cancer is key to overcoming its poor prognosis. α(v)β(3)-integrin is often overexpressed in pancreatic tumor cells, whereas it is scarcely expressed in normal pancreatic cells. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of SPECT imaging with (111)In-1,4,7,10-tetraazacylododecane-N,N',N″,N'''-tetraacetic acid-cyclo-(Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Lys) [(111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK)], an imaging probe of α(v)β(3)-integrin, for the early detection of pancreatic cancer in a hamster pancreatic carcinogenesis model. Hamsters were subcutaneously injected with the pancreatic duct carcinogen N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine to induce pancreatic cancer. N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-treated hamsters underwent in vivo SPECT with (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK). After imaging, the tumor-to-normal pancreatic tissue radioactivity ratios in excised pancreatic samples were measured with autoradiography (ARG) and compared with the immunopathologic findings for α(v)β(3)-integrin. In a mouse model in which inflammation was induced with turpentine, the uptake of (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) in inflammatory regions was evaluated with ARG and compared with that of (18)F-FDG. (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) was clearly visualized in pancreatic cancer lesions as small as 3 mm in diameter. ARG analysis revealed high tumor-to-normal pancreatic tissue radioactivity ratios (4.6 ± 1.0 [mean ± SD] in adenocarcinoma and 3.3 ± 1.4 in atypical hyperplasia). The uptake of (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) strongly correlated with α(v)β(3)-integrin expression. In the inflammatory model, inflammation-to-muscle ratios for (18)F-FDG and (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) were 8.37 ± 4.37 and 1.98 ± 0.60, respectively. These results imply that (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) has a lower rate of false-positive tumor detection than (18)F-FDG. Our findings suggest that SPECT with (111)In-DOTA-c(RGDfK) has great potential for the early and accurate detection of pancreatic cancer.