PRETZCEL

Summary

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans are used to produce images of the inside the body and can be used to investigate cancer and help decisions on how best to treat patients. PET scans are often combined with CT scans to produce even more detailed images, this is known as a PET-CT scan. In this study, we want to test if a new imaging agent, called ⁸⁹Zr  crefmirlimab berdoxam, could be used in PET-CT scanning.

We first want to understand if it behaves in the same manner when it is given twice under similar conditions. The new imaging agent is a modified form of an antibody (or a minibody) to which a small amount of radioactivity is attached. After intravenous injection into the body, this modified radioactive minibody attaches itself to a type of immune cell called a CD-8+ T-cell. The imaging agent allows us to track the behaviour of the CD8+ T cells that play an important role in killing cancer cells. Some cancer patients have CD8+ cells around their tumours and these have been shown to attack and kill cancer cells. Giving the new imaging agent before a PET-CT scan could help doctors see where CD8+ T cells are located. This information may tell doctors how well a patient will respond to immunotherapy treatments.

If we find that the imaging agent behaves in a similar way when given twice under similar conditions, it may help in the development of new drugs that target the immune system and allow doctors to tailor the treatment of patients with cancer.

What we plan to do

This study will include a total of 12 participants all recruited from the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. 6 participants will have a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma and 6 will have malignant melanoma. The study will be open to recruitment for approximately 12 months.