This SSTR2 upregulation technique using HDAC inhibitors could enhance radiolabeled somatostatin analog-based imaging and the development of potential targeted treatments for pulmonary carcinoid patients with marginal or diminished SSTR2 expression.
Recent studies have shown that somatostatin analogues have the potential not only to control symptoms of hormone hypersecretion but also have the ability to slow tumor growth in patients with advanced carcinoid.
In our previous study, we found that several tumor cell lines displayed high receptor-specific binding affinity, one of which, the human pancreatic carcinoid BON cell line, demonstrates high affinity binding of the bombesin (BN) and somatostatin (SST) receptor-specific ligands.
In neuroendocrine tumours, including carcinoid tumour, low-dosage (</=3 MU) or intermediate-dosage (5 to 10 MU) rIFNalpha is indicated as second-line treatment, either with octreotide or alone in patients resistant to somatostatin analogues.
We have shown previously that somatostatin receptor (sstr) scintigraphy may be used to predict therapeutic outcomes for carcinoid patients receiving somatostatin analogues.