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Status unknownNCT05513469Radio-MarkerUpdated Apr 7, 2023

Biomarker Identification of Radionuclide Therapy-induced Radiation Responses

An interventional study of Lutathera in Neuroendocrine Tumors, sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center. Status unknown at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-04-07.

Sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Apr 2023), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 100 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-[Tyr3]octreotate (177Lu-DOTATATE) is a form of internal radiation treatment for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) to reduce tumor growth and stabilize disease. Due to limited response rates, there is a need to improve this therapy. A better understanding of therapeutic radiobiological responses, such as transcriptional and DNA damage responses, could contribute to identification of biomarkers for toxicity and/or efficacy prediction. Easy access to biological samples for biomarker discovery would be via a so-called liquid biopsy (drawing blood) to collect healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for further investigation.

Exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) such as by PRRT leads to complex cellular responses including activation of the DNA damage response and changes in gene expression which can differ between individuals. This was previously shown for ex vivo external beam radiation of blood cells in which radiation responsive genes were identified. These genes were also similarly up- or downregulated following in vivo exposure to total-body irradiation of patients. In addition, different studies have shown a good correlation between radiation dose to the blood and DNA double strand break induction in PBMCs for various PRRT-like treatments. These results show that such events can be measured in PBMCs and indicate that ex vivo irradiation can mimic the in vivo transcriptional regulation and DNA damage induction. Therefore, to identify PRRT-induced cellular responses, the investigators will analyze the effects of 177Lu-DOTATATE IR on the transcriptional regulation in PBMCs and compare this regulation to radiation dose and DNA damage induction.

In addition, it was shown that levels of ctDNA can be associated with treatment response and anticancer treatment is also shown to influence ctDNA methylation patterns. The investigators will therefore explore dynamics of ctDNA levels and methylation patterns before and after PRRT to provide more knowledge of the effect of radiation response on ctDNA.

This is a pilot study to validate the possibility of determining the radiation response of PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE in PBMCs and ctDNA.

Read the detailed description

Altogether, the PBMC and ctDNA analyses will provide essential information on the PRRT radiation response using blood as easily accessible material. Future research can focus on development of radiation response biomarkers based on the outcomes of this study.

Objective: This is a pilot study to validate the possibility of determining the radiation response of PRRT with 177Lu-DOTATATE in PBMCs and ctDNA.

Study design: Prospective translational study with additional blood collections at 4 timepoints during regular patient care for ex vivo characterisation.

Study population: Twenty patients with locally advanced or metastatic NET receiving the first PRRT cycle of 7.4 GBq 177Lu-DOTATATE.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness:

Participants who receive standard PRRT will undergo 4 additional venipunctures during their scheduled stay in the hospital for PRRT administration. The burden of the venipunctures is minimal. There is no benefit for particitants.

02

Conditions studied

  • Neuroendocrine Tumors

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03

In context

Neuroendocrine Tumors

676 studies on the registry are indexed under Neuroendocrine Tumors; 169 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 42 across 464 interventional studies indexed under Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Browse Neuroendocrine Tumors studies →

Lead sponsor

Erasmus Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 466 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 100 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient with an advanced, well-differentiated midgut neuroendocrine tumor.
  • Indication for treatment with PRRT with 7.4 GBq 177Lu-DOTATATE as determined by the multidisciplinary team.
  • Age ≥ 18 years.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Failure to obtain informed consent.
  • Patient received IR for imaging purposes within one week prior to PRRT or IR for therapeutic purposes within 3 months prior to PRRT.
  • Previous treatment with PRRT.
  • Indication to receive another activity of PRRT than 7.4 GBq.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Other
    Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy

    PRRT 4x7.4GBq

    Drug: Lutathera

Interventions

  • DrugLutathera

    regulair PRRT of 4 cycles with 7.4GBq

    Also known as: 177lu-dotatate

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Transcriptional regulation and DNA damage induction in PBMCs after PRRT.

    DNA damage will be assessed by immunofluorescent stainings and microscopic detection of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 RIF. RIF numbers of at least 50 cells from at least 4 fields of view per blood sample will be quantified using an automated quantification macro in ImageJ. RNA isolation, sequencing, analysis and qPCR validation will be done. Validation of the identified differentially expressed genes will be performed in triplicate by qPCR. For sequencing, we will use an unique in-house analysis method using a Snakemake pipeline. RIF and sequencing analysis will be performed on blinded samples to perform unbiased analysis.

    Time frame: 2 years

Secondary outcomes

  1. mimic transcriptional regulation and DNA damage induction in PRRT ex vivo.

    Untreated blood from the patient will be treated with 177Lu-DOTATATE ex vivo. Analysis of transcriptional regulation and DNA damage induction will be done as mentioned in the description of outcome 1.

    Time frame: 2 years

  2. detection of ctDNA in NET patients

    For the assessment of circulating biomarkers of the tumor cells we will measure ctDNA levels in the blood.

    Time frame: 2 years

Other outcomes

  1. Evaluate the effect of PRRT on ctDNA levels.

    ctDNA levels will be measured in the blood before PRRT and 8 weeks after the first cycle.

    Time frame: 2 years

  2. methylation sequencing ctDNA

    DNA methylation sequencing method will be used to analyze the ctDNA. The MeD-seq assay will be used for genome-wide DNA methylation profiling on cell-free DNA (cfDNA)

    Time frame: 2 years

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Erasmus MC
    Rotterdam, South Holland 3015 GD, Netherlands
    Recruiting
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 7, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05513469
Lead sponsor
Erasmus Medical Center
Responsible party
M.N. Becx (PhD-student / coordinating investigator, Erasmus Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 24, 2022
Start date
Jan 1, 2023
Primary completion
Oct 1, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Oct 1, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 7, 2023

Study contacts

M.N. Becx
Contact
m.becx@erasmusmc.nl
43449

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Apr 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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