Tag: PSMA-617

What Patients with Prostate Cancer Should Know About PSMA Imaging and Therapy

Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland start to grow out of control. These cancerous cells may remain in the prostate or metastasize and spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, lymph nodes, liver, or lungs. 

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a protein found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. PSMA-targeting can be used to locate, identify, or treat cancerous cells in both the prostate as well as cancerous cells that have metastasized in other organs. This targeting can involve attaching a radionuclide, a particle that gives off radiation, to different molecular agents, most often monoclonal antibodies or small molecule targeting agents (also known as peptides, ligands, or inhibitors). This combination attaches to the PSMA receptors located in the cancer cells. 

PSMA positron emission tomography (PET) scans are an imaging technique approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). PSMA PET is able to precisely locate prostate cancer cells using a radioactive imaging agent that binds to prostate cancer cells to help localize them. This drug is injected into the body and attaches itself to PSMA proteins expressed by prostate cancer patients. The PET scan is then able to detect and pinpoint the prostate cancer tumors.

Weill Cornell Medicine was one of the first centers in the United States offering this technology for patients. PSMA PET is able to identify whether the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland with higher accuracy than other imaging methods. 

The team at the Weill Cornell Medicine Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Program has been a pioneer for PSMA-targeted therapies for many years. PSMA-targeted radionuclide therapies lead the combination of radionuclide and molecular agents directly to the PSMA cell receptors. The ability for the targeting agents and the PSMA receptors to join together provides this therapy the ability to precisely target prostate cancer cells.  

In March 2022, the FDA approved 177Lu-PSMA-617 (also known as Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan or Pluvicto) for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Dr. Scott Tagawa, director of the Weill Cornell Medicine Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Program, was a member of the steering committee for the trial evaluating this treatment that led to the approval. 

“The first availability of tumor-targeted radionuclide therapy on a commercial basis will allow patients with more limited resources that might not have been able to travel for a clinical trial or overseas to receive the benefit of this treatment. The first successful phase 3 trial allows us in research to optimize the treatment, study it in earlier disease states, and explore combinations with other therapies with scientific merit. Even after this approval, I encourage clinical trial participation and/or referrals.”

Scott Tagawa, MD, MS

Weill Cornell Medicine will be one of the first centers able to offer this therapy to patients immediately for both our existing patients and those who may be referred to us if their local provider doesn’t immediately have access to this therapy.  

Our team continues to lead and participate in a number of clinical trials aimed at ongoing testing and research for additional PSMA-targeted imaging and treatment. We are one of few centers in the world currently able to provide treatment plans that involve both PSMA-PET imaging and multiple PSMA-targeted therapies for our patients, as well as the opportunity to participate in these types of clinical trials in order to further develop PSMA technology.  

The Weill Cornell Medicine Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Program provides top-notch care, knowledge, and expertise for our patients. We offer new patient appointments, second opinions, and ongoing care for people with genitourinary cancers, including prostate cancer. To learn more or to make an appointment with one of our physicians, please call us at 646-962-2072. If interested in a clinical trial, please email us at guonc@med.cornell.edu.

Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)

Our team is at the forefront of utilizing prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted therapies in the treatment of prostate cancer.

PSMA is a protein on the surface of prostate cancer cells that enables a targeted approach to locate and image or treat these cells wherever they are in the body, even those that have escaped (metastasized) to other organs. We are able to target PSMA using different types of drugs, including small molecules and antibodies.

Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)

Learn more about how we use antibodies and small molecules to target PSMA.

For examples of our work in action, browse open prostate cancer clinical trials at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

2018 in Review: Advancements and Accomplishments

From delivering exceptional care in the clinic, to presenting at scientific conferences and publishing research in high-impact medical journals, our Genitourinary (GU) Oncology Program had an exceptionally busy 2018. We continue to work diligently to develop new and more effective therapies to treat advanced prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, while educating the community about cutting-edge advancements in the field.

As we look back on 2018, we wish to share a brief update of our research and accomplishments. Here’s what our team has been up to over the past year.

New Faces
Most recently, we were proud to welcome Dr. Cora Sternberg, a global thought-leader in the GU oncology space, to our team. Dr. Sternberg will facilitate the continued growth and development of clinical and translational research programs in GU malignancies, as well as serve as Clinical Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine (EIPM) to develop strategies to incorporate genomic sequencing and precision medicine within our Program and across Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.

New Events
More than 200 prostate cancer patients and loved ones attended our inaugural New York City Prostate Cancer Summit, a multi-institutional collaboration between Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This educational and advocacy event featured presentations and panel discussions from local medical experts and national advocacy leaders, with topics including nutrition, screening, coping and anxiety, immunotherapy and much more. Our second annual Summit is slated for September 2019 during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Stay tuned for details.

New Research Developments

Prostate Cancer

• Based upon our prior work with fractionated dosing of our radiolabeled antibody 177Lu-J591, we performed the world’s first phase 1 dose-escalation trial of 177Lu-PSMA-617 without finding any dose-limiting toxicity (no major side effects despite higher and higher doses), presenting the initial results at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2018 Congress. The phase II portion of the trial is ongoing. We are also leading the first trial combining two different targeting agents (J591 and PSMA-617) designed to deliver more radiation to tumors and less to other organs.

•  Alpha particles are several thousand-fold more potent than beta-emitters such as 177 Lu. We are completing the phase 1 dose-escalation portion of the world’s first-ever clinical trial utilizing a powerful alpha particle (225Ac) directed almost exclusively at prostate cancer cells by linking it with our J591 antibody, which avoids salivary glands.

• As prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeting enters “prime time,” the United States Department of Defense (DOD) has recognized our significant contributions to this evolving field with a grant that will allow us to research optimal patient selection for PSMA-targeted radionuclide therapy and assess the treatment’s immune effects.

• Thanks to developing technology utilizing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), we are able to draw information about a patient’s tumor via a simple blood test. In our findings published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Clinical Cancer Research journal, we analyzed the relationship between chemotherapy treatment and expression of androgen receptor (AR) variants in CTCs of men with metastatic prostate cancer.

• We led a phase II clinical trial through the Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (PCCTC) and discovered that an aggressive subset of disease called neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is driven by a gene with an associated target known as aurora kinase. Further investigation into targeting of the gene may help us to refine therapy for this difficult-to-treat patient population. Our findings were published as a cover story in Clinical Cancer Research. 

• Working with collaborators and funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), we have developed unique genomics sequencing methodology called PCF SELECT that allows us to identify actionable mutations in men with advanced prostate cancer.

Kidney Cancer

• The number of United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for patients with advanced kidney cancer continues to grow. Dr. Ana Molina leads our team in offering clinical trials focused on novel targeted agents, combination treatments, and risk-directed therapies for various subtypes of kidney cancer.

• Working together with the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, we are evaluating genetic signatures from patient tumor specimens and developing organoids that can be used to test novel pathways and tailor treatment to each individual patient.

• Laboratory studies of our in vivo kidney cancer models have resulted in discoveries regarding the metabolism of the disease. Understanding the role of the mitochondria (a cell’s power generator) in kidney cancer is leading us to novel therapeutic approaches to block tumors from growing and spreading.

Bladder Cancer

• Five immune therapies are now FDA-approved for people with advanced bladder cancer. We continue research to improve upon these agents by combining them with targeted therapeutics with the potential to replace chemotherapy. Collaboration with EIPM will help us to identify tumors most likely to benefit from these treatments.

• Dr. Bishoy Faltas and his lab team are focused on understanding the role of a specific family of proteins that cause mutations (genetic errors) that may be the underlying cause of bladder cancer. This research will enable us to develop new treatments to target the newly-identified genes that drive the disease.

• Based upon Dr. Faltas’ prior high-impact Nature Genetics publication that identified the genetic mechanisms by which bladder cancers become resistant to chemotherapy and new drug targets, we are launching an innovative new clinical trial utilizing a targeted drug that inhibits bladder cancer growth, the first time this type of drug is being tested in bladder cancer.

• We are conducting clinical trials of two antibody-drug conjugates (sacituzumab govitecan and enfortumab vedotin) designed to deliver potent chemotherapy-like toxins preferentially to cancer cells. This type of therapy is anticipated to become one of the standard approaches to bladder cancer treatment.

Precision Medicine

• Using samples of patient tumors (drawn via needle biopsy), we can create small 3-D tumor representations known as organoids that mimic the way that cancer cells grow within the body and respond to treatment. Our team has worked to develop this exciting new form of precision medicine, which is especially significant for rare cancers with a lack of preclinical models available for study.

We are moving closer to our ultimate goal of curing genitourinary cancers and look forward to continued progress in the years ahead.