2. Academic Validation
  3. LDL receptor-peptide conjugate as in vivo tool for specific targeting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

LDL receptor-peptide conjugate as in vivo tool for specific targeting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

  • Commun Biol. 2021 Aug 19;4(1):987. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02508-0.
Angélina Acier 1 2,  Magali Godard # 2,  Fanny Gassiot # 2,  Pascal Finetti 1,  Marion Rubis 1,  Jonathan Nowak 2,  François Bertucci 1,  Juan L Iovanna 1,  Richard Tomasini 1,  Pascaline Lécorché 2,  Guillaume Jacquot 2,  Michel Khrestchatisky 3,  Jamal Temsamani 2,  Cédric Malicet 2,  Sophie Vasseur 1,  Fabienne Guillaumond 4 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 CRCM, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes (IPC), Marseille, France.
  • 2 Vect-Horus, Marseille, France.
  • 3 Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, Marseille, France.
  • 4 CRCM, Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes (IPC), Marseille, France. fabienne.guillaumond@inserm.fr.
  • 5 CRCM U1068 - Pancreatic Cancer Team, 163 avenue de Luminy, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France. fabienne.guillaumond@inserm.fr.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 34413441 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02508-0
Abstract

Despite clinical advances in diagnosis and treatment, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains the third leading cause of Cancer death, and is still associated with poor prognosis and dismal survival rates. Identifying novel PDAC-targeted tools to tackle these unmet clinical needs is thus an urgent requirement. Here we use a peptide conjugate that specifically targets PDAC through low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). We demonstrate by using near-infrared fluorescence imaging the potential of this conjugate to specifically detect and discriminate primary PDAC from healthy organs including pancreas and from benign mass-forming chronic pancreatitis, as well as detect metastatic pancreatic Cancer cells in healthy liver. This work paves the way towards clinical applications in which safe LDLR-targeting peptide conjugate promotes tumor-specific delivery of imaging and/or therapeutic agents, thereby leading to substantial improvements of the PDAC patient's outcome.

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