Molecular imaging and therapy targeting copper metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma |
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Authors: | Jason Wachsmann Fangyu Peng |
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Institution: | Jason Wachsmann, Fangyu Peng, Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8542, United StatesFangyu Peng, Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8542, United StatesFangyu Peng, Harold C Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8542, United States |
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Abstract: | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Significant efforts have been devoted to identify new biomarkers for molecular imaging and targeted therapy of HCC. Copper is a nutritional metal required for the function of numerous enzymatic molecules in the metabolic pathways of human cells. Emerging evidence suggests that copper plays a role in cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Increased accumulation of copper ions was detected in tissue samples of HCC and many other cancers in humans. Altered copper metabolism is a new biomarker for molecular cancer imaging with position emission tomography (PET) using radioactive copper as a tracer. It has been reported that extrahepatic mouse hepatoma or HCC xenografts can be localized with PET using copper-64 chloride as a tracer, suggesting that copper metabolism is a new biomarker for the detection of HCC metastasis in areas of low physiological copper uptake. In addition to copper modulation therapy with copper chelators, short-interference RNA specific for human copper transporter 1 (hCtr1) may be used to suppress growth of HCC by blocking increased copper uptake mediated by hCtr1. Furthermore, altered copper metabolism is a promising target for radionuclide therapy of HCC using therapeutic copper radionuclides. Copper metabolism has potential as a new theranostic biomarker for molecular imaging as well as targeted therapy of HCC. |
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Keywords: | Hepatocellular carcinoma Positron emission tomography Copper metabolism Radionuclide therapy RNA interference Gene therapy |
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