Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a prostate cancer treatment designed to mitigate a debilitating side effect associated with existing therapies.
Treatment Overview
The treatment targets Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA), a protein found on prostate cancer cells. Current radioligand therapy (RTL) utilizes radioactive material attached to a targeting molecule to deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. However, this therapy often causes damage to salivary glands, resulting in severe dry mouth that can impact a patient's quality of life and treatment adherence.
New Ligand Development
The study, published in Molecular Imaging and Biology, details the development of a new PSMA-targeting ligand, designated PSMA-1-DOTA. DOTA is a molecule that binds to radioactive metals, facilitating their attachment to targeting compounds. According to the researchers, PSMA-1-DOTA exhibits stronger binding to prostate cancer cells compared to current treatments. It also demonstrated reduced damage to salivary and tear glands in studies, while maintaining tumor-fighting effectiveness comparable to standard radioligand therapy.
Potential Impact
This development suggests a potential shift in prostate cancer care by enabling earlier intervention with PSMA-targeted therapy. Current PSMA-targeted RTL is often considered a later-stage treatment option due to its side effects.
Research Findings and Future Steps
Research included comprehensive testing on mouse models and a single human patient with metastatic prostate cancer at the Technical University of Munich. The patient study indicated that the new treatment avoided salivary glands while still targeting prostate cancer cells. The research team plans to initiate clinical trials involving approximately 12 prostate patients in late next year to further validate these findings and establish appropriate dosing procedures.