68Gallium- and 177Lutetium/NOTA-somatropin for imaging and treatment of GH-R expressing melanoma

Cutaneous melanoma is considered to be one of the most deadliest cancers worldwide, with metastasis to other organs being difficult to treat. As the human growth hormone-receptor (GHR) was found to be over-expressed in i.a. different melanoma cell lines, the human growth hormone (recombinant prepared: somatropin) can now be used to visualize and treat these types of cancer in human. Therefore, somatropin will be labeled with a radioactive marker (68Ga for diagnosis and 177Lu for treatment), after which both in vitro and in vivo (mouse and human patients) binding tests will be performed. If selective uptake of the radioactive modified somatropin molecule is seen in the (metastasized) tumor tissue, new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies can be developed.