Abstract
Cancers rely on lipid and protein metabolism to sustain their rapid growth, often hijacking Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) pathways to fuel their progression. Recent research has identified widespread LDL receptor (LDLR) overexpression in both adult and pediatric high-grade gliomas, particularly around blood vessels, suggesting a key metabolic vulnerability. This discovery opens the door for early-stage, non-invasive tumor detection by imaging LDLR upregulation as tumors begin to form.
A recent study (Adekeye et al., 2023) demonstrated this phenomenon through histological analysis, showing significant LDLR expression in glioblastomas and astrocytomas. Building on this, researchers aim to develop LDLR-targeted PET or SPECT imaging agents using radiolabeled antibodies to detect gliomas and potentially metastatic brain tumors at their earliest stages.
GlioDAO is considering funding this initiative through DNKO, which seeks collaboration with molecular diagnostic labs specializing in antibody-based radio-imaging. By leveraging LDLR as a biomarker, this project could transform early brain cancer detection, providing faster diagnoses, better treatment outcomes, and new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
References
- DNKO. "Future Projects" Available at: https://www.dnko.net/future-projects.
- Adekeye AO, Needham D, Rahman R. Low-Density Lipoprotein Pathway Is a Ubiquitous Metabolic Vulnerability in High-Grade Glioma Amenable for Nanotherapeutic Delivery. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(2):599.
