PSMA-targeted Radioligand Therapy Research Articles

Multidisciplinary Team Approach in Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Theranostics for Prostate Cancer: A Narrative Review

In managing prostate cancer, the integration of multidisciplinary team (MDT) with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) theranostics marks a significant advancement, addressing the disease's spectrum from indolent forms to aggressive metastatic stages. MDTs, comprising urology, oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, radiology, and nuclear medicine experts, are pivotal in delivering tailored, evidence-based care, essential for the varied clinical presentations of prostate cancer. The introduction of PSMA-targeted theranostics and PSMA positron emission tomography imaging has impacted the approach to diagnosis and treatment, offering enhanced precision in disease localization and enabling more nuanced management strategies for conditions such as oligometastatic prostate cancer, metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. The collaborative approach of MDTs in utilizing PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy emphasizes meticulous patient selection, predictive assessment of therapy response, and careful management of therapy-related toxicities. Additionally, recent strategies, including combination therapies from ENZA-P and Lu-PARP trials, show potential for improving treatment efficacy. This unified approach showcases the critical role of MDTs in optimizing treatment outcomes, underscoring the importance of collaboration in advancing the treatment of prostate cancer with PSMAtargeted therapies, thereby setting a new paradigm in personalized prostate cancer management.

A Comparison of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT-Based Split Renal Function with 99mTc-MAG3 Renography in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Carcinoma Treated with 177Lu-PSMA.

Physiological PSMA expression in the cells of the proximal renal tubules and consecutive radiopharmaceutical binding and retention could potentially lead to radioligand-therapy-induced nephrotoxicity. Thus, patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergo 99mTc-Mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) renal scintigraphy to assess kidney function and to exclude renal obstruction as part of their workup for PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT). 99mTc-MAG-3 renal scintigraphy often requires an additional visit to the nuclear medicine department and patients spend 30-90 min in the department, which is inconvenient and takes up camera time. In addition, the patients are subjected to a baseline 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT to assess for PSMA-positive disease prior to targeted radioligand therapy. The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to compare 99mTc-MAG-3-based split renal function (SRF) with 68Ga-PSMA-derived SRF. This retrospective cross-sectional study included 28 patients with histologically proven metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who received 177Lu-PSMA617. A comparison between the split renal function using 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and the 99mTc-MAG-3-derived split renal function was carried out in 56 kidneys (n = 56). The SRF on 68Ga-PSMA was calculated using the volume and the average standard uptake value (SUVmean) within each VOI calculated as previously described by Roser et al.: SRF = (VOLUMEright) ∗ SUVmeanright/(VOLUMEright ∗ SUVmeanright + VOLUMEleft ∗ SUVmeanleft). Paired tests and correlation coefficients were used to compare 68Ga-PSMA and 99mTc-MAG-3. A visual comparison of kidney morphology on both studies was also performed. The median SRF of the right kidney was 49.9% (range: 3-91%) using 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and 50.5% (range: 0-94%) with 99mTc-MAG3 scintigraphy. Notably, there was a strong correlation between SRF measurements obtained from PSMA and 99mTcMAG3, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.957 (p < 0.001). Both 99mTc-MAG3 and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT studies identified morphological renal abnormalities; there were nine hydronephrotic kidneys, four shrunken kidneys and one obstructed kidney, and there was a strong positive correlation between 68Ga-PSMA kidney morphology and 99mTcMAG3 renal scintigraphy kidney morphology, with a correlation coefficient of 0.93. PSMA-derived split function demonstrated a high correlation with renal function assessed on diuretic 99mTc-MAG3 renograms. PET-derived split renal function may, therefore, be considered an alternative to diuretic renogram-based split function. Furthermore, both 99mTc-MAG3 and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT studies identified morphological renal abnormalities such as hydronephrosis, shrunken and obstructed kidneys. This correlation underscores the potential utility of 68Ga-PSMA imaging as a valuable tool for assessing kidney morphology as an alternative to renogram split function in clinical practice.

Preclinical comparison of [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 and [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.2 for endoradiotherapy of prostate cancer: biodistribution and dosimetry studies

BackgroundRadiohybrid PSMA-targeted ligands (rhPSMA) have been introduced as a novel platform for theranostic applications. Among a variety of rhPSMA-ligands developed for radioligand therapy, two stereoisomers [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 and -10.2 have been synthesized and initially characterized in preclinical experiments with the aim to provide an optimized binding profile to human serum albumin, a reduction of charge, and thus accelerated kidney excretion, and unaffected or even improved tumor uptake. As both isomers showed similar in vitro characteristics and tumor uptake at 24 h post injection in tumor bearing mice and in order to identify the isomer with the most favorable pharmacokinetics for radioligand therapy, we carried out in-depth biodistribution and dosimetry studies in tumor-bearing and healthy mice.ResultsrhPSMA-10.1 and -10.2 were radiolabeled with lutetium-177 according to the established procedures of other DOTA-based PSMA ligands and displayed a high and comparable stability in all buffers and human serum (> 97%, 24 h). Biodistribution studies revealed fast clearance from the blood pool (0.3–0.6%ID/g at 1 h) and other background tissues within 48 h. Distinctive differences were found in the kidneys, where [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 displayed lower initial uptake and faster excretion kinetics compared to [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.2 expressed by a 1.5-fold and ninefold lower uptake value at 1 h and 24 h in healthy animals, respectively. Tumor uptake was comparable and in the range of 8.6–11.6%ID/g for both isomers over 24 h and was maintained up to 168 h at a level of 2.2 ± 0.8 and 4.1 ± 1.4%ID/g for [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 and [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.2, respectively.ConclusionOur preclinical data on biodistribution and dosimetry indicate a more favorable profile of [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 compared to [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.2 for PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy. [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 shows fast kidney clearance kinetics resulting in excellent tumor-to-organ ratios over a therapy relevant time course. Meanwhile, [177Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 is currently being investigated in clinical phase I/II studies in patients with mCRPC (NCT05413850), in patients with high-risk localized PC (NCT06066437, Nautilus Trial) and after external beam radiotherapy (NCT06105918).

Detection of PSMA expression on circulating tumor cells by blood-based liquid biopsy in prostate cancer.

For patients with mCRPC, PSMA-targeted radioligand treatment has significantly improved the clinical outcome. A blood-based liquid biopsy assay for recognizing PSMA protein expression on circulating tumor cells may be beneficial for better informing therapeutic decision-making and identifying the patients most likely to benefit from PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy. Using high-throughput imaging and digital AI pathology algorithms, a four-color immunofluorescence assay has been developed to find PSMA protein expression on CTCs on a glass slide. Cell line cells (LNCaP/PC3s/22Rv1) spiked into healthy donor blood were used to study the precision, specificity, sensitivity, limit of detection, and overall accuracy of the assay. Clinical validation and low-pass whole-genome sequencing were performed in PSMA-PET-positive patients with high-risk mCRPC (N = 24) utilizing 3 mL of blood. The PSMA CTC IF assay achieved analytical specificity, sensitivity, and overall accuracy above 99% with high precision. In the clinical validation, 76% (16/21) of the cases were PSMA positive with CTC heterogeneity, and 88% (21/24) of the patients contained at least one conventional CTC per milliliter of blood. Thirty-six low-pass-sequenced CTCs from 11 individuals with mCRPC frequently exhibited copy number increases in AR and MYC and losses in RB1, PTEN, TP53, and BRCA2 locus. The analytical validation utilizing Epic Sciences' liquid biopsy CTC platform demonstrated the potential to detect PSMA protein expression in CTCs from patients with mCRPC. This assay is positioned as an effective research tool to evaluate PSMA expression, heterogeneity, and therapeutic response in many ongoing clinical studies to target tumors that express PSMA.

PSMA Targeted Molecular Imaging and Radioligand Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Optimal Patient and Treatment Issues.

Theranostics (therapy + diagnosis) targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an emerging therapeutic modality that could alter treatment strategies for prostate cancer. Although PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) has a highly therapeutic effect on PSMA-positive tumor tissue, the efficacy of PSMA-RLT depends on PSMA expression. Moreover, predictors of treatment response other than PSMA expression are under investigation. Therefore, the optimal patient population for PSMA-RLT remains unclear. This review provides an overview of the current status of theranostics for prostate cancer, focusing on PSMA ligands. In addition, we summarize various findings regarding the efficacy and problems of PSMA-RLT and discuss the optimal patient for PSMA-RLT.

Rationale for Prostate-Specific-Membrane-Antigen-Targeted Radionuclide Theranostic Applied to Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), whose high expression has been demonstrated in metastatic aggressive prostate adenocarcinoma, is also highly expressed in the neovessels of various solid tumors, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In the VISION phase III clinical trial, PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PRLT) with lutetium 177 demonstrated a 4-month overall survival OS benefit compared to the best standard of care in heavily pretreated metastatic prostate cancer. Despite the improvement in the management of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) with antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and immunotherapy, there is still a need for new treatments for patients who progress despite these drugs. In this study, we discuss the rationale of PRLT applied to the treavtment of mccRCC.

SUVmean on baseline [18F]PSMA-1007 PET and clinical parameters are associated with survival in prostate cancer patients scheduled for [177Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T

BackgroundQuantification of [68 Ga]-labeled PSMA PET predicts response in patients with prostate cancer (PC) who undergo PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT). Given the increasing use [18F]-labeled radiotracers, we aimed to determine whether the uptake derived from [18F]PSMA-1007 PET can also identify responders and to assess its prognostic value relative to established clinical parameters.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 103 patients with metastatic, castration-resistant PC who were treated with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA I&T. We calculated SUVmean, SUVmax, PSMA-avid tumor volume (TV), and total lesion PSMA (defined as PSMA-TV*SUVmean) on pre-therapeutic [18F]PSMA-1007 PET. Laboratory values for hemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (AP) were also collected prior to RLT. We performed univariable Cox regression followed by multivariable and Kaplan–Meier analyses with overall survival (OS) serving as endpoint. Last, we also computed a risk factor (RF) model including all items reaching significance on multivariable analysis to determine whether an increasing number of RFs can improve risk stratification.ResultsA total of 48 patients died and median OS was 16 months. On univariable Cox regression, SUVmean, CRP, LDH, hemoglobin, and the presence of liver metastases were significantly associated with OS. On multivariable Cox regression, the following significant prognostic factors for OS were identified: SUVmean (per unit, HR, 0.91; P = 0.04), the presence of liver metastases (HR, 2.37; P = 0.03), CRP (per mg/dl, HR, 1.13; P = 0.003), and hemoglobin (per g/dl, HR, 0.76; P < 0.01). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed significant separation between patients with a SUVmean below or above a median SUVmean of 9.4 (9 vs 19 months, HR 0.57; P = 0.03). Of note, patients with only one RF (median OS not reached) showed longest survival compared to patients with two (11 months; HR 2.43 95% CI 1.07–5.49, P = 0.02) or more than two RFs (7 months; HR 3.37 95% CI 1.62–7.03, P < 0.001).ConclusionA lower SUVmean derived from [18F]PSMA-1007, higher CRP, lower hemoglobin, and the presence of liver metastases are associated with reduced OS in patients undergoing RLT. An early RF model also demonstrated that an increasing number of those factors is linked to worse outcome, thereby emphasizing the importance of clinical and imaging parameters for adequate risk stratification.

PSMA-heterogeneity in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: Circulating tumor cells, metastatic tumor burden, and response to targeted radioligand therapy.

We explored the interrelation between prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and that of solid metastatic lesions as determined by whole-body PSMA-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) to refine the prediction of response to subsequent PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT). A prospective study was performed in 20 patients with advanced mCRPC. Of these, 16 underwent subsequent RLT with [177 Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 at a dose of 7.4 GBq every 6-8 weeks. PSMA expression on CTCs using the CellSearch system was compared to clinical and serological results, and to marker expression in targeted imaging and available histological sections of prostatectomy specimens (19% of RLT patients). Clinical outcome was obtained after two cycles of RLT. Marked heterogeneity of PSMA expression was observed already at first diagnosis in available histological specimens. Targeted whole-body imaging also showed heterogeneous inter- and intra-patient PSMA expression between metastases. Heterogeneity of CTC PSMA expression was partially paralleled by heterogeneity of whole-body tumor burden PSMA expression. Twenty percentof CTC samples showed no PSMA expression, despite unequivocal PSMA expression of solid metastases at PET. A high fraction of PSMA-negative CTCs emerged as the sole predictor of poor RLT response (odds ratio [OR]: 0.9379 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.8558-0.9902]; p = 0.0160), and was prognostic for both shorter progression-free survival (OR: 1.236 [95% CI, 1.035-2.587]; p = 0.0043) and overall survival (OR: 1.056 [95% CI, 1.008-1.141]; p = 0.0182). This proof-of-principle study suggests that liquid biopsy for CTC PSMA expression is complementary to PET for individual PSMA phenotyping of mCRPC.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) as a potential target for molecular imaging and treatment in bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are a group of rare malignant tumours with major histological and anatomical varieties. In a metastatic setting, sarcomas have a poor prognosis due to limited response rates to chemotherapy. Radioligand therapy targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) may offer a new perspective. PSMA is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein which is present in all prostatic tissue and overexpressed in prostate cancer. Despite the name, PSMA is not prostate-specific. PSMA expression is also found in a multitude of non-prostatic diseases including a subgroup of sarcomas, mostly in its neovascular endothelial cells. On PET/CT imaging, multiple sarcomas have also shown intense PSMA-tracer accumulation. PSMA expression and PSMA-tracer uptake seem to be highest in patients with aggressive and advanced sarcomas, who are also in highest need of new therapeutic options. Although these results provide a good rationale for the future use of PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy in a selection of sarcoma patients, more research is needed to gain insight into optimal patient selection methods, PSMA-targeting antibodies and tracers, administered doses of radioligand therapy, and their efficacy and tolerability. In this review, mRNA expression of the FOLH1 gene which encodes PSMA, PSMA immunohistochemistry, PSMA-targeted imaging and PSMA-targeted therapy in sarcomas will be discussed.

Performance of a blood-based liquid biopsy test to detect PSMA expression on circulating tumor cells in men with metastatic prostate cancer.

256 Background: PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy has dramatically improved clinical outcomes in men with mCRPC. A blood-based liquid biopsy assay to detect PSMA expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) could be helpful to optimize therapeutic decisions and identify patients most likely to benefit from PSMA-targeted therapies. Here we describe the development of this PSMA blood-based assay and the application of the single cell sequencing (SCS) pipeline to identify copy number alterations and further characterize heterogeneity in late-stage disease. Methods: A 4-color immunofluorescence (IF) assay was developed to detect PSMA expression on CTCs on the Epic Sciences liquid biopsy platform. CTCs were identified as DAPI+, cytokeratin (CK)+, and CD45- with appropriate cell morphology. Cells were plated onto glass slides and subjected to IF staining followed by CTC identification using a high throughput scanning platform with digital pathology machine learning algorithms. Cell line cells (LNCaP, PC3s, 22Rv1) of varying PSMA expression levels were spiked into normal blood (CLC/WBC; 1:10000) to create laboratory derived slides. Assay specificity, sensitivity, limit of detection (LOD), precision, and overall accuracy, as well as subcellular localization of biomarker expression were reported. Clinical validation was performed in a cohort of high-risk mCRPC patients (N=24) with previously demonstrated PSMA expression by tissue biopsy, utilizing 3ml of blood. Additionally, a subset of CTCs (36 cells from 11 patients) underwent single-cell low-pass whole genome sequencing to identify copy number alterations. Results: The PSMA CTC assay (Epic Sciences) achieved analytical specificity, sensitivity, and overall accuracy of over 99%. Precision was evaluated using intra-class correlation (ICC) (0.98). The assay showed an LOD of 1 CLC/technical replicate. PSMA expression was specific to staining outside the nucleus and distinguished from CK cytoplasmic staining. Analysis of 24 mCRPC samples revealed that 21/24 (88%) had at least one conventional CTC/mL (range: 0-30 CTCs/mL), of which 16/21 (76%) were PSMA positive (range: 0-27 CTCs/mL) with considerable tumor heterogeneity. 36 sequenced CTCs (N=11 pts) exhibited genomic heterogeneity and frequent AR (3/11), MYC (7/11), and MYCN (5/11) gains or losses of PTEN (4/11), TP53 (7/11), BRCA2 (5/11), CHD1 (6/11), and/or RB1(5/11 pts). Conclusions: The PSMA CTC assay analytical results firmly support its feasibility to detect PSMA expression in CTCs from mCRPC patient samples. The assay demonstrates high sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy. Many ongoing trials are designed to target PSMA-positive tumors, positioning this assay as a robust research tool to identify and longitudinally monitor PSMA expression and explore heterogeneity, response, and resistance in these patient populations.

Status of PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy in prostate cancer: current data and future trials.

Metastatic prostate cancer continues to be an incurable disease. Despite all the novel therapies approved in the past two decades, overall patient outcomes remain relatively poor, and these patients die on a regular basis. Clearly, improvements in current therapies are needed. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a target for prostate cancer given its increased expression on the surface of the prostate cancer cells. PSMA small molecule binders include PSMA-617 and PSMA-I&T and monoclonal antibodies such as J591. These agents have been linked to different radionuclides including beta-emitters such as lutetium-177 and alpha-emitters such as actinium-225. The only regulatory-approved PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PSMA-RLT) to date is lutetium-177-PSMA-617 in the setting of PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer that has failed androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and taxane chemotherapy. This approval was based on the phase III VISION trial. Many other clinical trials are evaluating PSMA-RLT in various settings. Both monotherapy and combination studies are underway. This article summarizes pertinent data from recent studies and provides an overview of human clinical trials in progress. The field of PSMA-RLT is rapidly evolving, and this therapeutic approach will likely play an increasingly important role in the years to come.

The current status of prostate cancer treatment and PSMA theranostics

In the treatment of cancer, understanding the disease status, or accurate staging, is extremely important, and various imaging techniques are used. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and scintigrams are commonly used for solid tumors, and advances in these technologies have improved the accuracy of diagnosis. In the clinical practice of prostate cancer, CT and bone scans have been considered especially important for detecting metastases. Nowadays, CT and bone scans are called conventional methods because positron emission tomography (PET), especially prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)/PET, is extremely sensitive in detecting metastases. Advances in functional imaging, such as PET, are advancing the diagnosis of cancer by allowing information to be added to the morphological diagnosis. Furthermore, PSMA is known to be upregulated depending on the malignancy of the prostate cancer grade and resistance to therapy. Therefore, it is often highly expressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with poor prognosis, and its therapeutic application has been attempted for around two decades. PSMA theranostics refers to a type of cancer treatment that combines both diagnosis and therapy using a PSMA. The theranostic approach uses a radioactive substance attached to a molecule that targets PSMA protein on cancer cells. This molecule is injected into the patient’s bloodstream and can be used for both imaging the cancer cells with a PET scan (PSMA PET imaging) and delivering radiation directly to the cancer cells (PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy), with the aim of minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Recently, in an international phase III trial, the impact of 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy was studied in patients with advanced PSMA-positive metastatic CRPC who had previously been treated with specific inhibitors and regimens. The trial revealed that 177Lu-PSMA-617 significantly extended both progression-free survival and overall survival compared to standard care alone. Although there was a higher incidence of grade 3 or above adverse events with 177Lu-PSMA-617, it did not negatively impact the patients’ quality of life. PSMA theranostics is currently being studied and used primarily for the treatment of prostate cancer, but it has the potential to be applied to other types of cancers as well.

Long-term Durable Response after Treatment with 177Lu-PSMA Therapy in Combination with Enzalutamide

A75 years-old male with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who had progressed under enzalutamide was treated with 4 cycles of 177Lulutetium-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), as the third line of treatment for mCRPC, without discontinuing enzalutamide. The patient showed near complete response and maintained on enzalutamide for four years after PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PRLT) without a need for further rechallenge PRLT. Also, the patient had a long term diabetes mellitus but no nephrotoxicity regarding PRLT was observed. Long-term durable responses after PRLT without recurrence is rare and biomarkers for such phenomenon warrants further studies.

The oncological characteristics of non-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-expressing primary prostate cancer on preoperative PSMA positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

The oncological characteristics of non-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-expressing primary prostate cancer on preoperative PSMA positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

Individual radiosensitivity reflected by γ-H2AX and 53BP1 foci predicts outcome in PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy

Purposeγ-H2AX and 53BP1 are fundamental for cellular DNA damage response (DDR) after radiation exposure and are linked to cell repair, arrest, or apoptosis. We aimed to evaluate whether DDR-markers in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) may have predictive potential for outcome in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving [177Lu]Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy (RLT).MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 20 men with advanced mCRPC scheduled for PSMA-targeted RLT. Prior to the first cycle of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT, all patients underwent [18F]F-PSMA-1007 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for assessment of tumor PSMA expression (assessing maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of all tumor lesions). Blood samples were collected prior to, + 1 h after, and + 24 h after administration of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA, and DDR-markers γ-H2AX and 53BP1 were determined in PBLs through immunocytofluorescence. We then tested the predictive performance of DDR-markers relative to clinical and PET-based parameters for progressive disease (PSA-PD) after 2 cycles. In addition, the predictive value for progression-free survival (PSA-PFS, provided as median and 95% confidence interval [CI]) was explored.ResultsLow baseline 53BP1 and γ-H2AX foci (P = 0.17) tended to predict early PSA-PD, whereas low SUVmax was significantly associated with higher risk for PSA-PD (P = 0.04). In Kaplan–Meier analysis, there was a trend towards prolonged PSA-PFS in patients with higher baseline 53BP1 of 6 months (mo; 95%CI, 4–9 mo) compared to 3 mo in patients with low 53BP1 (95% CI, 2–3 mo; P = 0.12). Comparable results were recorded for higher γ-H2AX expression (6 mo [95% CI, 3–9 mo] relative to 3 mo [95% CI, 2–4 mo] in patients with low γ-H2AX; P = 0.12). SUVmax, however, did not demonstrate predictive value (P = 0.29). Consistently, in univariate Cox-regression analysis, baseline 53BP1 foci demonstrated borderline significance for predicting PSA-PFS under [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT (P = 0.05).ConclusionIn this prospective study investigating mCRPC patients undergoing [177Lu]Lu-PSMA RLT, low baseline DDR-markers in PBLs tended to predict poor outcome. Although the study group was small and results need further confirmation, these preliminary findings lay the foundation for exploring additive radiosensitizing or treatment intensification in future studies with high-risk individuals scheduled for RLT.

1365P The impact of PSMA-positive circulating tumor cells in men with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)

PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy has dramatically improved outcomes in mCRPC men. A liquid biopsy assay to detect and characterize PSMA expression and heterogeneity could be helpful to guide optimal therapy and identify patients most likely to benefit.

Current Status of PSMA-Targeted Radioligand Therapy in the Era of Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Acquiring Marketing Authorization.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is highly expressed in PCa, which gradually increases in high-grade tumors, metastatic tumors, and tumors nonresponsive to androgen deprivation therapy. PSMA has been a topic of interest during the past decade for both diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Radioligand therapy (RLT) utilizes the delivery of radioactive nuclides to tumors and tumor-associated targets, and it has shown better efficacy with minimal toxicity compared to other systemic cancer therapies. Nuclear medicine has faced a new turning point claiming theranosis as the core of academic identity, since new RLTs have been introduced to clinics through the official new drug development processes for approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medical Agency. Recently, PSMA targeting RLT was approved by the US FDA in March 2022. This review introduces PSMA RLT focusing on ongoing clinical trials to enhance our understanding of nuclear medicine theranosis and strive for the development of new radiopharmaceuticals.

Salivary Gland Toxicity of PSMA-Targeted Radioligand Therapy with 177Lu-PSMA and Combined 225Ac- and 177Lu-Labeled PSMA Ligands (TANDEM-PRLT) in Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Single-Center Systematic Investigation.

Purpose: PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PRLT) is a promising treatment option for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, a high uptake of the radiopharmaceutical in the salivary glands (SG) can lead to xerostomia and becomes dose-limiting for 225Ac-PSMA-617. This study investigated the sialotoxicity of 177Lu-PSMA-I&T/-617 monotherapy and co-administered 225Ac-PSMA-617 and 177Lu-PSMA-617 (Tandem-PPRLT). Methods: Three patient cohorts, that had undergone 177Lu-PSMA-I&T/-617 monotherapy or Tandem-PRLT, were retrospectively analyzed. In a short-term cohort (91 patients), a xerostomia assessment (CTCAE v.5.0), a standardized questionnaire (sXI), salivary gland scintigraphy (SGS), and SG SUVmax and the metabolic volume (MV) on 68Ga-PSMA-11-PET/CT were obtained before and after two cycles of 177Lu-PSMA-I&T/-617. In a long-term cohort, 40 patients were similarly examined. In a Tandem cohort, the same protocol was applied to 18 patients after one cycle of Tandem-PRLT. Results: Grade 1 xerostomia in the short-term follow-up was observed in 22 (24.2%) patients with a worsening of sXI from 7 to 8 at (p < 0.05). In the long-term cohort, xerostomia grades 1 to 2 occurred in 16 (40%) patients. SGS showed no significant changes, but there was a decline of the MV of all SGs. After Tandem-PRLT, 12/18 (66.7%) patients reported xerostomia grades 1 to 2, and the sXI significantly worsened from 9.5 to 14.0 (p = 0.005), with a significant reduction in the excretion fraction (EF) and MV of all SGs. Conclusion: 177Lu-PSMA-I&T/-617 causes only minor SG toxicity, while one cycle of Tandem-PRLT results in a significant SG impairment. This standardized protocol may help to objectify and quantify SG dysfunction.

Factores pronósticos de eficacia y seguridad que afectan a la supervivencia global de los pacientes con cáncer de próstata metastásico sometidos a tratamiento con [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617: estudio en un único centro

BackgroundDetermining the efficacy, safety, and prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) among metastatic prostate cancer patients undergoing PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PRLT). MethodIn this retrospective study, from November 2016 and December 2019, 43 heavily pretreated (90.7% on 1st line androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), 53.5% on 2nd line ADT, 58.1% on docetaxel) metastatic prostate cancer patients with median age of 71 years (range: 51-88 years) were enrolled. Treatment cycles were repeated every 8 weeks (range: 6-12 weeks). To evaluate the biochemical response after each cycle, prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured and analyzed according to the Prostate Cancer Working Group 3 (PCWG3) criteria cutoffs. Possible adverse events after therapy were retrospectively classified according to the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v.5.0. Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with OS. ResultsA total of 112 cycles of PRLT with a median of 3 cycles (range: 1-6) and median administered activity per cycle of 6.29 GBq (range: 4.45-7.7 GBq) were used. PSA decline was observed in 65.1% of patients, and best PSA decline of ≥50% and ≥90% were achieved in 39.5% and 23.3% of patients, respectively. Major (grade III) anemia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 11.6% and 7% of patients, respectively. Median OS and median PSA progression-free survival were 52 and 20 weeks, respectively. In univariate analysis, baseline hemoglobin <11.2 g/dL, baseline platelets count ≥327,000/μL, PSA decline <20.94% after first cycle of therapy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) >2, baseline PSA ≥115 ng/ml, cumulative dose of 177Lu-PSMA <12.95 GBq, initial alkaline phosphatase ≥196.5 U/L, initial lactate dehydrogenase ≥380 U/L and superscan pattern in bone scintigraphy were associated with worse OS. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, higher baseline platelet count, lower baseline hemoglobin, superscan pattern, and lower cumulative dose of 177Lu-PSMA remained significant predictors of poor OS. ConclusionPRLT with 177Lu-PSMA is well-tolerated and effective in metastatic prostate cancer patients who have no other treatment options available. The novel prognostic markers found in this study (high platelet count, superscan pattern) were associated with poor overall survival.

Augmented alpha-beta PSMA radioligand therapy in metastatic prostate cancer: Analysis of prognostic factors for survival.

e17025 Background: PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (PRLT) using the alpha-emitter Ac-225 PSMA-617 is effective in metastatic prostate cancer progressing after beta-emitter-based PRLT using Lu-177 PSMA-617, and in the presence of diffuse bone marrow metastases. Xerostomia is a dose-limiting factor in PRLT using Ac-225. Augmented Alpha-Beta PRLT is a concept of concomitantly administering Lu-177 and Ac-225 PSMA in lower activities, as a trade-off between efficacy and the dose-limiting toxicity, i.e., xerostomia. The objective of this study was to compare overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and incidence of xerostomia among metastatic prostate cancer patients who received Ac-225 PSMA-617 augmentation in the initial phase of Lu-177 PSMA-617 RLT compared to those who received it in the late phase. Initial phase is defined as first two cycles of PSMA radioligand therapy (PRLT) vs late phase as after two cycles. We also examined prognostic factors associated with OS and PFS. Methods: Kaplan Meier method was used to examine survival curves and log-rank tests were conducted to examine differences in survival by groups. Cox Proportional Hazard (CPH) model was used to examine the impact of bone marrow and visceral metastasis and age on OS and PFS. Progression was defined as an increase of ≥ 25% in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Results: 68 patients who received Ac-225 PSMA-617 by itself, or Ac-225 PSMA-617 augmentation to Lu-PSMA-617 were included in the analysis. Out of these, 15 received early augmentation, 50 received late augmentation, and 3 received Ac-225 PSMA-617 alone. Of these, 48 experienced cancer progression and 21 died due to cancer progression. Median OS was 47 months and PFS was 11 months. Those who received early augmentation had significantly better PFS (median PFS not reached during study period) compared to those who received late augmentation (median PFS: 9 months) (p = 0.02). Early augmentation was associated with lower likelihood of xerostomia (p = 0.09). CPH model suggested that visceral or bone marrow metastasis were associated with significantly worse prognosis for PFS (p = 0.04). Conclusions: In patients progressing after Lu-177 PSMA radioligand therapy and those with diffuse bone-marrow metastases, an earlier augmentation with Ac-225 PSMA-617 is associated with better PFS and lower side effects such as xerostomia. Having visceral or bone marrow metastasis is a poor prognostic indicator for PFS in augmented alpha-beta PSMA radioligand therapy.