Development of PET Radioligands Targeting COX-2 for Colorectal Cancer Staging, a Review of in vitro and Preclinical Imaging Studies

International audienceColorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death, making early diagnosis a major public health challenge. The role of inflammation in tumorigenesis has been extensively explored, and among the identified markers of inflammation, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression seems to be linked to lesions with a poor prognosis. Until now, COX-2 expression could only be accessed by invasive methods, mainly by biopsy. Imaging techniques such as functional Positron Emission Tomography (PET) could give access to in vivo COX-2 expression. This could make the staging of the disease more accurate and would be of particular interest in the exploration of the first metastatic stages. In this paper, we review recent progress in the development of COX-2 specific PET tracers by comparing the radioligands' characteristics and highlighting the obstacles that remain to be overcome in order to achieve the clinical development of such a radiotracer, and its evaluation in the management of CRC

Microbubble-assisted ultrasound for imaging and therapy of melanoma skin cancer: A systematic review

International audienceRecent technological developments in ultrasound (US) imaging and ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) have improved the diagnostic confidence in echography. In the clinical management of melanoma, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging complements conventional US imaging (i.e., high-resolution US and Doppler imaging) for clinical examination and therapeutic follow-up. These developments have set into motion the combined use of ultrasound and UCAs as a new modality for drug delivery. This modality, called sonoporation, has emerged as a noninvasive, targeted, and safe method for the delivery of therapeutic drugs into melanoma. This review focuses on the results and prospects of using US and UCAs as dual modalities for CEUS imaging and melanoma treatment

Microbubble-assisted ultrasound for imaging and therapy of melanoma skin cancer: A systematic review

International audienceRecent technological developments in ultrasound (US) imaging and ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) have improved the diagnostic confidence in echography. In the clinical management of melanoma, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging complements conventional US imaging (i.e., high-resolution US and Doppler imaging) for clinical examination and therapeutic follow-up. These developments have set into motion the combined use of ultrasound and UCAs as a new modality for drug delivery. This modality, called sonoporation, has emerged as a noninvasive, targeted, and safe method for the delivery of therapeutic drugs into melanoma. This review focuses on the results and prospects of using US and UCAs as dual modalities for CEUS imaging and melanoma treatment