New Marker Substance for Cancer Cells

(ETH Zurich, July 02, 2013)

Scientists from ETH Zurich have developed a new substance that enables certain tumour types to be rendered visible in high resolution using positron emission tomography (PET). The new tracer binds to the folic acid receptor, which is interesting because this receptor accumulates on the cell surface in many cancer types. The tracer does do not only provide means to assess the scale and location of a tumor. It additionally allows to characterize the tumor cells precisely, enabling doctors to predict the probability that a patient will respond to a particular form of therapy. The substance has successfully been tested in mice. Now the researchers are planning clinical trials in humans.