PD-L1 and nectin-4 expression and genomic characterization of bladder cancer with divergent differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer with divergent differentiation (BCDD) comprises a heterogenous group of tumors with a poor prognosis, and differential expression of nectin-4 and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has been reported in BCDD. Importantly, nectin-4 expression in bladder cancer is associated with response to enfortumab vedotin, and PD-L1 expression is associated with responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective review identifying 117 patients with advanced or metastatic BCDD who were treated at Winship Cancer Institute from 2011 to 2021. They performed immunohistochemistry staining for nectin-4 and PD-L1 expression by histologic subtype as well as genomic analysis of these patients, including RNA sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, and fusion detection analysis as well as a subgroup genomic analysis of patients with BCDD who received ICIs. RESULTS: The results indicated that nectin-4 expression was highest in the groups who had the squamous and plasmacytoid subtypes, whereas the group that had the sarcomatoid subtype (70.8%) had the highest proportion of PD-L1-positive patients. Genomic analysis yielded several key findings, including a 50% RB1 mutation rate in patients who had small cell BCDD, targetable PIK3CA mutations across multiple subtypes of BCDD, and significantly higher expression of TEC in responders to ICIs. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the authors identified clinically relevant data on nectin-4 and PD-L1 expression in patients with rare bladder tumors. They also identified several novel findings in the genomic analysis that highlight the role of precision medicine in this population of patients. Larger, prospective studies are needed to validate these hypothesis-generating data.

Nectin-4-directed antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs): Spotlight on preclinical and clinical evidence.

Nectin-4 (Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4), a type I transmembrane cell adhesion protein, was demonstrated to be overexpressed in a variety of tumors, making it an attractive antigen for targeted therapies such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Of great note, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approval of the first Nectin-4-directed ADC, enfortumab vedotin (EV), in urothelial cancer (UC) not only introduced Nectin-4 as a clinically validated and reliable target antigen but also confirmed the evolving role of Nectin-4-directed ADCs as novel and promising cancer therapeutics. In addition to EV, there have been or are currently being seven and eleven Nectin-4-directed ADCs, respectively, in various stages of clinical trials and preclinical development, offering a promising future for the treatment of Nectin-4-positive cancer patients. This study reviewed clinical- and preclinical-stage Nectin-4-directed ADCs.

Effects of PEGylation on Imaging Contrast of 68Ga-Labeled Bicyclic Peptide PET Probes Targeting Nectin-4.

Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4 (Nectin-4) is overexpressed in various malignant tumors and has emerged as a promising target for tumor imaging. Bicyclic peptides, known for their conformational rigidity, metabolic stability, and membrane permeability, are ideal tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of visualizing Nectin-4-positive tumors using radiolabeled bicyclic peptide derivatives and optimized the pharmacokinetics of radiotracers by introducing PEG chains of different lengths. Five PEGylated radiotracers radiolabeled with 68Ga3+ exhibited high radiochemical purity and stability. As the chain length increased, the Log D values decreased from -2.32 ± 0.13 to -2.50 ± 0.16, indicating a gradual increase in the hydrophilicity of the radiotracers. In vitro cell-binding assay results showed that the PEGylated bicyclic peptide exhibits nanomolar affinity, and blocking experiments confirmed the specific binding of the tracers to the Nectin-4 receptor. In vivo PET imaging and biodistribution studies in SW780 and 5637 xenograft mice showed that [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG12-BP demonstrated optimal pharmacokinetics, characterized by rapid and good tumor uptake, faster background clearance, and improved tumor-to-tissue contrast. Finally, compared with 18F-FDG, PET imaging, in vivo blocking assays of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG12-BP and histological staining confirmed that specific tumor uptake was mediated by Nectin-4 receptors. The results indicated that [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-PEG12-BP was a promising PET radiotracer for Nectin-4 targeting, with applications for clinical translation.

Corrigendum: Innovative retargeted oncolytic herpesvirus against nectin4-positive cancers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1149973.].

Exploring membranous NECTIN-4 expression patterns and enfortumab vedotin response in prostate cancer.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a novel type of targeted cancer therapy combining the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxicity of conventional chemotherapy. Recently, ADCs have demonstrated practice-changing efficacy across diverse solid cancers. The anti-NECTIN-4 ADC enfortumab vedotin (EV) has just been approved for patients with urothelial cancer and is currently under investigation for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC e.g. Phase II ENCORE trial). Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of EV in established prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and to examine the membranous NECTIN-4 expression in primary tumours (PRIM) and distant metastases (MET). NECTIN-4 was heterogeneously expressed in the panel of PCa cell lines. EV led to growth inhibition in NECTIN-4 expressing PCa cells (22Rv1 and LNCaP), whereas the NECTIN-4-negative PC-3 cells were significantly less responsive to EV, emphasizing the dependence of EV response on its target expression. Immunohistochemical staining revealed moderate membranous NECTIN-4 expression only in a small subgroup of CRPC patients with lung and peritoneal MET [n = 3/22 with H-score ≥100, median H-score 140 (IQR 130-150)], while 100% of PRIM (n = 48/48) and 86.4% of common MET sites (n = 19/22), including lymph node, bone and liver MET, were NECTIN-4 negative. In summary, EV may be effective in NECTIN-4-positive PCa. However, our findings demonstrate that the tumoural NECTIN-4 expression is predominantly low in metastatic PCa, which suggests that EV may only be effective in a biomarker-stratified subgroup.

Therapeutic Targets in Advanced Penile Cancer: From Bench to Bedside.

Discovery of effective systemic therapies for patients with advanced penile cancer has been slow to occur. Comprehensive genomic profiling from several studies shed light on the molecular oncogenesis of penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) and differences between HPV-related and unrelated tumors. While these two subsets of PSCC appear distinct in their biology, there are not yet specific treatment strategies recommended on that basis. Cell surface proteins have been identified that may potentially serve as drug targets for monoclonal antibodies or small molecule inhibitors. Here, we review some of the new biological insights regarding PSCC that could lead to improved therapies, as well as the related clinical trials recently completed or in progress. We conclude that antibody-drug conjugates are especially promising, as are the combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors with other types of drugs.

Translational PET Imaging of Nectin-4 Expression in Multiple Different Cancers with 68Ga-N188.

Nectin cell adhesion molecule 4 (nectin-4) is a transmembrane protein overexpressed on a variety of cancers and plays an important role in oncogenic and metastatic processes. The nectin-4-targeted antibody-drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin has been approved for treating locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer, but the efficacy in other types of cancer remains to be explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of nectin-4-targeted PET imaging with 68Ga-N188 as a noninvasive method to quantify membranous nectin-4 expression in multiple tumor types-an approach that may provide insight for patient stratification and treatment selection. Methods: Sixty-two patients with 16 types of cancer underwent head-to-head 68Ga-N188 and 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging for initial staging or detection of recurrence and metastases. Correlation between lesion SUVmax and nectin-4 expression determined by immunohistochemistry staining was analyzed in 36 of 62 patients. Results: The SUVmax of 68Ga-N188 had a positive correlation with membranous nectin-4 expression in the various tumor types tested (r = 0.458; P = 0.005), whereas no association was observed between the SUVmax and cytoplasmic nectin-4 expression. The detection rates for patient-based analysis of 68Ga-N188 and 18F-FDG PET/CT examinations were comparable (95.00% [57/60] vs. 93.33% [56/60]). In patients with pancreatic cancer, 68Ga-N188 exhibited a potential advantage for detecting residual or locally recurrent tumors; this advantage may assist in clinical decision-making. Conclusion: The correlation between nectin-4-targeted 68Ga-N188 PET imaging and membranous nectin-4 expression indicates the potential of 68Ga-N188 as an effective tool for selecting patients who may benefit from enfortumab vedotin treatment. The PET imaging results provided evidence to explore nectin-4-targeted therapy in a variety of tumors. 68Ga-N188 may improve the restaging of pancreatic cancer but requires further evaluation in a powered, prospective setting.

Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) Nectin4 plays an important role against red spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus infection.

Nectins are adhesion molecules that play a crucial role in the organization of epithelial and endothelial junctions and function as receptors for the entry of herpes simplex virus. However, the role of Nectin4 remains poorly understood in fish. In this study, nectin4 gene was cloned from medaka (OlNectin4). OlNectin4 was located on chromosome 18 and contained 11 exons, with a total genome length of 25754 bp, coding sequences of 1689 bp, coding 562 amino acids and a molecular weight of 65.5 kDa. OlNectin4 contained four regions, including an Immunoglobulin region, an Immunoglobulin C-2 Type region, a Transmembrane region and a Coiled coil region. OlNectin4 shared 47.18 % and 25.00 % identity to Paralichthys olivaceus and Mus musculus, respectively. In adult medaka, the transcript of nectin4 was predominantly detected in gill. During red spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) infection, overexpression of OlNectin4 in GE cells significantly increased viral gene transcriptions. Meanwhile, Two mutants named OlNectin4△4 (+4 bp) and OlNectin4△7 (-7 bp) medaka were established using CRISPR-Cas9 system. Nectin4-KO medaka had higher mortality than WT after infected with RGNNV. Moreover, the expression of RGNNV RNA2 gene in different tissues of the Nectin4-KO were higher than WT medaka after challenged with RGNNV. The brain and eye of Nectin4-KO medaka which RGNNV mainly enriched, exhibited significantly higher expression of interferon signaling genes than in WT. Taken together, the OlNectin4 plays a complex role against RGNNV infection by inducing interferon responses for viral clearance.

Like Father, Like Daughter - Ectodermal Dysplasia-Syndactyly Syndrome: A Case Report.

Ectodermal dysplasia-syndactyly syndrome 1 (EDSS1) is an exceedingly rare condition associated with mutations in the PVL4 gene. It is characterised by sparse, brittle hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, abnormal dentition and nails, along with bilateral cutaneous syndactyly involving the fingers and toes. We report a 2-year-old girl who presented to us with bilateral complete simple syndactyly of the third and fourth web spaces of the hands, along with bilateral syndactyly of both feet involving the second to fourth toes. Upon examination, sparse hair and eyebrows, along with abnormal dentition, were noted. Thorough clinical examination and genetic analysis were conducted on the affected child and her father, who exhibited similar clinical features. Genetic analysis revealed a homozygous nonsense mutation in the PVL4 gene in both individuals. According to the literature, EDSS1 has been reported in only 10 families worldwide, and there are no reported cases from India. Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic).

A humanized trivalent Nectin-4-targeting nanobody drug conjugate displays potent antitumor activity in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer represents a highly lethal malignancy with an elevated mortality rate among cancer patients, coupled with a suboptimal postoperative survival prognosis. Nectin-4, an overexpressed oncological target for various cancers, has been exploited to create antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat solid tumors. However, there is limited research on Nectin-4 ADCs specifically for gastric cancer, and conventional immunoglobulin G (IgG)-based ADCs frequently encounter binding site barriers. Based on the excellent tumor penetration capabilities inherent in nanobodies (Nbs), we developed Nectin-4-targeting Nb drug conjugates (NDCs) for the treatment of gastric cancer. RESULTS: An immunized phage display library was established and employed for the selection of Nectin-4-specific Nbs using phage display technology. Subsequently, these Nbs were engineered into homodimers to enhance Nb affinity. To prolong in vivo half-life and reduce immunogenicity, we fused an Nb targeting human serum albumin (HSA), resulting in the development of trivalent humanized Nbs. Further, we site-specifically conjugated a monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) at the C-terminus of the trivalent Nbs, creating Nectin-4 NDC (huNb26/Nb26-Nbh-MMAE) with a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 1. Nectin-4 NDC demonstrated excellent in vitro cell-binding activities and cytotoxic efficacy against cells with high Nectin-4 expression. Subsequent administration of Nectin-4 NDC to mice bearing NCI-N87 human gastric cancer xenografts demonstrated rapid tissue penetration and high tumor uptake through in vivo imaging. Moreover, Nectin-4 NDC exhibited noteworthy dose-dependent anti-tumor efficacy in in vivo studies. CONCLUSION: We have engineered a Nectin-4 NDC with elevated affinity and effective tumor uptake, further establishing its potential as a therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.

Efficacy of Enfortumab Vedotin After Chemotherapy With Anti-programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Maintenance Treatment in a Clear Cell Variant of Invasive Urothelial Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis: A Case Report.

Among upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUTUC) cases, there are few reports of the clear cell variant. Systemic chemotherapy will be given according to the usual treatment for urothelial cancer unless lymph nodes or organ metastases make surgical treatment inappropriate. Here, we report a clear cell variant of UUTUC of the left renal pelvis with aortic lymph node metastasis. The patient in this case was treated with systemic chemotherapy, anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) maintenance treatment, radiation therapy, and enfortumab vedotin (EV) therapy. To determine which of the treatments contributed to the therapeutic effect, immunostaining was used. The results indicated that Nectin-4 was expressed in clear cell variant tissues, while programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and PD-L1 expression levels were weak in these tissues. The patient maintained complete remission with these treatments. Two years after the initial treatment, the patient was still alive with no progression or metastasis.

Therapeutic prospects of nectin-4 in cancer: applications and value.

Nectin-4 is a Ca2+-independent immunoglobulin-like protein that exhibits significantly elevated expression in malignant tumors while maintaining extremely low levels in healthy adult tissues. In recent years, overexpression of Nectin-4 has been implicated in tumor occurrence and development of various cancers, including breast cancer, urothelial cancer, and lung cancer. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved enfortumab vedotin, the first antibody-drug conjugate targeting Nectin-4, for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma. This has emphasized the value of Nectin-4 in tumor targeted therapy and promoted the implementation of more clinical trials of enfortumab vedotin. In addition, many new drugs targeting Nectin-4 for the treatment of malignant tumors have entered clinical trials, with the aim of exploring potential new indications. However, the exact mechanisms by which Nectin-4 affects tumorigenesis and progression are still unclear, and the emergence of drug resistance and treatment-related adverse reactions poses challenges. This article reviews the diagnostic potential, prognostic significance, and molecular role of Nectin-4 in tumors, with a focus on clinical trials in the field of Nectin-4-related tumor treatment and the development of new drugs targeting Nectin-4.

Biomarkers of Response to Anti-NECTIN4 Antibody-Drug Conjugate Enfortumab Vedotin in Urothelial Cancer.

Initial studies indicated that NECTIN4 expression is widespread in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), which led to approval of the anti-NECTIN4 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) enfortumab vedotin (EV) for unselected patients with mUC. However, the recent literature suggests that there has been overestimation of membranous NECTIN4 expression in UC, which is a prerequisite for EV binding. It is well established from the development of Her2-targeting ADCs that treatment response is strongly dependent on membranous expression level of the relevant target antigen. In this context, it has been demonstrated that membranous NECTIN4 expression correlates with EV responses and outcomes. Another promising biomarker could be NECTIN4 copy number alteration, a genomic alteration that occurs in approximately 25% of mUC cases, which is associated with strong membranous NECTIN4 expression. Patients with NECTIN4 amplification exhibit an objective response rate of >90% to EV monotherapy and long-term survival. Given the heterogeneous expression of NECTIN4 in UC, future biomarker research is essential for the development of biomarker-driven mUC treatment strategies to further improve outcomes for patients with mUC. PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed current evidence on biomarkers for predicting response to enfortumab vedotin (EV) treatment for metastatic urinary tract cancer (mUC). Studies to date have shown that patients with high levels of the protein NECTIN4 on their cancer cells respond well to EV. This information has the potential to guide future treatment strategies for mUC.

Increased expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters in enfortumab vedotin-resistant urothelial cancer.

Introduction: In addition to reduced nectin-4 expression, the upregulation of ATP-binding cassette transporters has been suggested as a potential mechanism of resistance to enfortumab vedotin. Case presentation: A 76-year-old man previously treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy and pembrolizumab for metastatic bladder cancer was administered enfortumab vedotin because of disease progression. Subsequently, metastasectomy was performed for oligometastatic lesions (in the lung and adrenal gland) that exhibited growth during enfortumab vedotin therapy. Immunostaining analysis revealed decreased nectin-4 expression and elevated MDR1, MRP1, and BCRP expression in the metastatic lesions. Conclusion: Decreased nectin-4 expression and increased ATP-binding cassette transporter expression are potential factors in the development of enfortumab vedotin resistance in urothelial carcinoma. Immunohistochemical evaluation of these proteins may aid in predicting treatment efficacy.

TROP-2, NECTIN-4 and predictive biomarkers in sarcomatoid and rhabdoid bladder urothelial carcinoma.

Introduction: The surface protein TROP-2/TACSTD2 and the cell adhesion protein NECTIN-4/NECTIN4 are responsible for the efficacy of anticancer therapies based on antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) targeting intracellular microtubules. In contrast with common histologic subtypes of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC), little is known of TROP-2 and NECTIN-4 expression in sarcomatoid and rhabdoid BUC. Aims: In this study, we aimed to analyze TROP-2 and NECTIN-4 expression and additional predictive biomarkers by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on 35 undifferentiated BUC (28 sarcomatoid and 7 rhabdoid). Wide genomic investigation was also performed on 411 BUC cases of the PanCancer Atlas, focusing on genes related to the microtubule pathways. Results: Seven of 35 (20%) undifferentiated BUC showed expression of TROP-2. NECTIN-4 was expressed in 10 cases (29%). Seven cases (20%) co-expressed TROP-2 and NECTIN-4. HER-2 FISH was amplified in 5 cases (14%) while HER-2 immunoexpression was observed in 14 cases (40%). PD-L1 scored positive for combined proportion score (CPS) in 66% of cases and for tumor proportion score (TPS) in 51% of cases. Pan-NTRK1-2/3 was elevated in 9 cases (26%) and FGFR-2/3 was broken in 7 of 35 cases (20%). Of 28 sarcomatoid BUC, 9 (32%) were negative for all (TROP-2, NECTIN-4, PD-L1, HER-2, FGFR and pan-NTRK) biomarkers and 3 (11%) expressed all five biomarkers. Among cases with rhabdoid dedifferentiation, 1 of 7 (14%) showed activation of all biomarkers, whereas 2 of 7 (28%) showed none. The mRNA analysis identified microtubule-related genes and pathways suitable for combined ADC treatments in BUC. Conclusion: Sarcomatoid and rhabdoid BUC do harbor positive expression of the ADC targets TROP-2 or NECTIN-4 in a relatively modest subset of cases, whereas the majority do not. Different combinations of other positive biomarkers may help the choice of medical therapies. Overall, these findings have important clinical implications for targeted therapy for BUC.

Associations of TACSTD2/TROP2 and NECTIN-4/NECTIN-4 with molecular subtypes, PD-L1 expression, and FGFR3 mutational status in two advanced urothelial bladder cancer cohorts.

AIMS: Treatment options for advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC) rapidly evolved: besides immunomodulative therapeutic options and inhibitors targeting Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) alterations, two new antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), sacituzumab govitecan (SG) and enfortumab vedotin (EV), have been approved. However, little is known about the associations of specific aUC properties and the surface target expression of TROP2 and NECTIN-4. Our aim was to characterize associations of TACSTD2/TROP2 and NECTIN-4/NECTIN-4 protein and gene expression with morphomolecular and clinicopathological characteristics of aUC in two large independent cohorts. METHODS AND RESULTS: The TCGA BLCA (n = 405) and the CCC-EMN (n = 247) cohorts were retrospectively analysed. TROP2/TACSTD2 and NECTIN-4/NECTIN-4 are highly expressed at the protein and transcript level in aUC, and their expression status did not correlate with patient survival in both cohorts. NECTIN-4/NECTIN-4 expression was higher in luminal tumours and reduced in squamous aUCs. NECTIN-4 was negative in 10.6% of samples, and 18.4% of samples had low expression (H-score <15). The TROP2 negativity rate amounted to 6.5%. TACSTD2 and NECTIN-4 expression was reduced in neuroendocrine-like and/or protein-based double-negative tumours. TROP2- and NECTIN-4-negative tumours included one sarcomatoid and four neuroendocrine aUC. FGFR3 alterations and PD-L1 expression on tumour and immune cells did not associate with TROP2 or NECTIN-4 expression. CONCLUSIONS: TACSTD2/TROP2 and NECTIN-4/NECTIN-4 are widely expressed in aUC, independent of FGFR3 alterations or PD-L1 expression, thus representing a suitable target for ADC treatment in the majority of aUC. The expression loss was associated with aggressive morphomolecular aUC subtypes, i.e. neuroendocrine(-like) and sarcomatoid aUC.

Nectin-4 expression in a subset of cutaneous adnexal carcinomas: A potential target for therapy with enfortumab vedotin.

BACKGROUND: Enfortumab vedotin (EV) is an antibody-drug conjugate directed against Nectin-4 that is used to treat urothelial carcinoma. Nectin-4 is inherently expressed in the skin and adnexal structures. Since therapeutic options for cutaneous adnexal carcinomas are limited, we sought to evaluate Nectin-4 expression in adnexal carcinomas and benign adnexal neoplasms to identify tumors that are potentially targetable with EV. METHODS: Eight sebaceous carcinomas (seven periocular and one lymph node metastasis), eight digital papillary adenocarcinomas, seven squamoid eccrine ductal carcinomas, eight poromas, eight trichilemmomas, and seven sebaceous adenomas were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for anti-Nectin-4 antibody. H-scores for Nectin-4 expression were calculated. RESULTS: Benign adnexal neoplasms had a significantly lower mean (±SD) Nectin-4 H-score (142.6 ± 39.1) than did the adnexal carcinomas (198 ± 90.8; p = 0.006). Nectin-4 was expressed in 91% (21/23) of adnexal carcinomas. Sebaceous carcinomas frequently exhibited high expression of Nectin-4 (88% [7/8]), with a mean (±SD) H-score (258.1 ± 58.4) significantly higher than those for digital papillary adenocarcinomas (197.5 ± 52.5; p = 0.035) and squamoid eccrine ductal carcinomas (131.4 ± 114.1; p = 0.031). Sebaceous carcinomas also had significantly higher H-scores than did sebaceous adenomas (186.4 ± 25.0; p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Increased Nectin-4 expression in a subset of cutaneous adnexal carcinomas, particularly sebaceous carcinomas, reveals that EV is a potential therapeutic option for these tumors.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy targeting Nectin-4 in a preclinical model of bladder cancer.

Enfortumab vedotin (EV), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets Nectin-4, has shown promising results in the treatment of bladder cancer. However, multiple resistance mechanisms that are unique to ADCs limit the therapeutic potential of EV in clinical practice. Here, we developed and tested a Nectin-4-targeted near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) that utilizes the same target as EV but utilizes a distinct cytotoxic and immunotherapeutic pathway in preclinical models of bladder cancer. NIR-PIT was effective in vitro against luminal subtype human bladder cancer cell lines (RT4, RT112, MGH-U3, SW780, and HT1376-luc), but not against other subtype cell lines (UMUC3 and T24). In vivo, the tumor site was clearly visible by Nectin-4-IR700 fluorescence 24 h after its administration, suggesting the potential as an intraoperative imaging modality. NIR-PIT significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival in SW780 and RT112 xenograft models. Weekly treatment with NIR-PIT further improved tumor control in RT112 xenograft models. The effectiveness of NIR-PIT was also confirmed in HT1376-luc orthotopic xenograft models. Histological analysis verified that NIR-PIT induced a significant pathologic response. Taken together, Nectin-4-targeted NIR-PIT shows promise as a treatment for luminal subtype bladder cancers.

NECTIN-4 targeted theranostics for urothelial cancer: getting ready for primetime?

Locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) presents a bleak prognosis, with limited treatment options. NECTIN-4, an overexpressed protein in UC, has become a target for therapy. Enfortumab vedotin (EV) gained Food and Drug Administration approval for advanced UC treatment, but patient selection based on NECTIN-4 expression remains challenging. In the study under evaluation, Duan et al. introduced a novel PET/CT imaging approach using 68Ga-N188, a molecular probe, to visualize NECTIN-4 expression in UC. Their study encompassed preclinical evaluations and translational assessments in both healthy individuals and UC patients. Results demonstrated the potential of 68Ga-N188 in identifying NECTIN-4 expression in UC lesions. Additionally, the study utilized long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT, enhancing sensitivity and enabling dynamic studies for improved radiopharmaceutical evaluation. In summary, the study from Duan and colleagues introduces a promising molecular imaging technique that could aid in patient selection for EV therapy and the development of targeted drugs for UC. It also highlights the potential of LAFOV PET/CT in enhancing imaging precision and expanding future therapeutic possibilities for UC.