177Lu-Pentixather Targeted CXCR4-Directed Radioligand Therapy for Advanced Solid Tumors | University Hospital Rechts der Isar

Welcome to the nuclear medicine department at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar, affiliated with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). As a premier academic medical center in Germany, we are at the forefront of molecular radiotherapy and advanced theranostics. For patients confronting advanced solid tumors that have progressed beyond conventional treatment options, we offer a highly specialized, cutting-edge approach: 177Lu-Pentixather targeted CXCR4-directed radioligand therapy. This innovative treatment represents a significant breakthrough in precision oncology, enabling our specialists to deliver high-dose, localized radiation directly to malignant cells at a molecular level. By choosing our center in Munich, you gain access to a pioneering therapy backed by rigorous scientific research and administered by a globally recognized team of nuclear medicine physicians, oncologists, and medical physicists. The core of this advanced therapy targets the CXCR4 chemokine receptor, a protein that is often heavily overexpressed in aggressive solid tumors. This receptor plays a major role in driving tumor growth, local invasiveness, and the spread of distant metastases. Our treatment strategy relies on a sophisticated theranostic method, a seamless combination of precise diagnostics and targeted therapy. The process begins with a diagnostic 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT scan, which maps the exact distribution and density of CXCR4 receptors across all tumor sites in your body. If this imaging confirms high receptor expression, we proceed with the therapeutic infusion of 177Lu-Pentixather. This compound features a targeting molecule that binds tightly to CXCR4 receptors and delivers a therapeutic payload of the radioactive isotope Lutetium-177. Once attached, the isotope emits localized beta radiation that systematically destroys the targeted cancer cells and immediately adjacent microscopic disease through a process known as the crossfire effect, all while strictly minimizing radiation exposure to healthy, non-target organs. 177Lu-Pentixather is deployed as a precision strike against a broad spectrum of aggressive, solid malignancies that have proven resistant to conventional therapies. The primary clinical focus includes highly aggressive respiratory and endocrine malignancies, most notably small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). It also serves as a critical therapeutic option for rare and difficult-to-treat conditions such as adrenocortical carcinoma and advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) that no longer respond to standard somatostatin-receptor-targeted treatments. The versatility of the CXCR4 target enables this therapy to be extended to other cold or refractory tumors where therapeutic options are traditionally limited. This includes metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, both of which often show high receptor density in advanced stages. Furthermore, the protocol is increasingly considered for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer, and certain high-grade glioblastomas that exhibit strong uptake on diagnostic Pentixafor PET/CT scans. Receiving radioligand therapy at our facility involves a meticulously structured, patient-centered clinical protocol. 177Lu-Pentixather is administered intravenously in our state-of-the-art, dedicated nuclear medicine therapy ward. Because patient safety and dosimetric precision are our highest priorities, you will stay in our specially equipped inpatient unit for a few days following the infusion. During this observation period, our clinical team continuously monitors your vital signs, renal function, and hematological profiles. Furthermore, we use advanced post-therapeutic quantitative SPECT/CT imaging to carefully track the radioligand's biodistribution in your body. This allows our medical physicists to verify that the therapeutic radiation is accumulating optimally within the tumor lesions rather than healthy tissue, ensuring the safest and most effective individualized treatment dose possible.