Curasight A/S has announced the publication of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating uPAR-PET imaging in patients with brain cancer, specifically gliomas. The study, published in the EJNMMI Research journal, highlights the potential of uPAR-PET as a prognostic tool and for identifying candidates for uPAR-targeted radioligand therapy.
The investigator-initiated trial, conducted at Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet, involved 24 patients with primary gliomas. The research focused on assessing the prognostic value of uPAR-PET using the tracer 68Ga-NOTA-AE105 (uTRACE) and estimating the proportion of patients who are uPAR-PET positive, potentially benefiting from future uPAR-targeted treatments.
Study Details and Findings
The patient cohort included 16 patients (67%) diagnosed with WHO grade 4 gliomas, 6 (25%) with grade 3, and 2 (8%) with grade 2. A significant finding was that almost all (94%) of the grade 4 gliomas (glioblastomas) exhibited positive uPAR-PET scans, indicating high uPAR expression. With a median follow-up of 18.8 months (ranging from 2.1 to 45.6 months), 19 patients experienced disease progression, and 14 died.
The study revealed a strong correlation between uPAR expression levels and patient prognosis. Patients with high uPAR expression, as detected by uPAR-PET, had significantly worse overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The hazard ratio for overall survival was 14.3 (95% CI, 1.8-112.3; P=0.011), and the hazard ratio for progression-free survival was 26.5 (95% CI, 3.3-214.0; P=0.0021).
Implications for Brain Cancer Treatment
These results suggest that uPAR-PET imaging can effectively identify patients with aggressive gliomas who are more likely to experience disease progression and poorer outcomes. Furthermore, the high proportion of uPAR-PET positive glioblastomas indicates a substantial potential patient population for future uPAR-targeted radioligand therapies (uTREAT). This approach could offer a more personalized and effective treatment strategy for brain cancer, addressing the unmet need for targeted therapies in this challenging disease.
