# Potential Targets and Biomarkers of Radionuclide Therapy in Breast Cancer

**Authors:** Yujing Tan, Cheng Zeng, Jiani Wang, Fei Ma

PMC · DOI: 10.1002/cai2.70043 · Cancer Innovation · 2026-01-17

## TL;DR

This review summarizes potential biomarkers for radionuclide therapy in breast cancer, including ER, PR, HER2, and others, to improve targeted treatment.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of potential biomarkers for radionuclide therapy in breast cancer.

## Key findings

- ER, PR, and HER2 are key receptor markers for radionuclide therapy in breast cancer.
- Other potential biomarkers include Trop2, PD-1, EGFR, GRPR, and PSMA.
- Radionuclide therapy enables localized treatment and imaging for breast cancer.

## Abstract

In recent years, multidisciplinary treatment strategies have profoundly improved drug responses and survival outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients. However, there is an urgent need for novel therapies for BC patients who are heavily treated or develop resistance to conventional treatment regimens. Radionuclide therapy (RT) and targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) have emerged as paradigm‐shifting therapeutic approaches for BC, which enable functions of both imaging and localised treatment. They utilise radionuclides that can selectively bind to biomarkers overexpressing on BC cells, allowing precise delivery and localised tumour irradiation. Moreover, several types of radionuclides possess ‘cross‐fire’ effects that result in the eradication of neighbouring tumour cells lacking the biomarker expression. In the current review, we summarise the potential biomarkers for the development of RT and TRT that can be employed in the treatment of BC, including receptor markers of ER, PR and HER2, together with other markers of Trop2, PD‐1, EGFR, GRPR and PSMA.

Potential biomarkers for the development of targeted radionuclide therapy that can be employed in the treatment of breast cancer have been summarised in the review. They include receptor markers of ER, PR and HER2, as well as other markers of Trop2, PD‐1, EGFR, GRPR and PSMA.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** EREG (epiregulin), PGR (progesterone receptor), ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2), TACSTD2 (tumor associated calcium signal transducer 2), PDCD1 (programmed cell death 1), EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), GRPR (gastrin releasing peptide receptor), FOLH1 (folate hydrolase 1)
- **Diseases:** breast cancer (MONDO:0004989)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** SPATA2 (spermatogenesis associated 2) [NCBI Gene 9825] {aka PD1, PPP1R145, tamo}, GRPR (gastrin releasing peptide receptor) [NCBI Gene 2925] {aka BB2, BB2R, BRS2}, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) [NCBI Gene 1956] {aka ERBB, ERBB1, ERRP, HER1, NISBD2, NNCIS}, TACSTD2 (tumor associated calcium signal transducer 2) [NCBI Gene 4070] {aka EGP-1, EGP1, GA733-1, GA7331, GP50, M1S1}, PGR (progesterone receptor) [NCBI Gene 5241] {aka NR3C3, PR}, ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, FOLH1 (folate hydrolase 1) [NCBI Gene 2346] {aka FGCP, FOLH, GCP2, GCPII, NAALAD1, PSM}, EREG (epiregulin) [NCBI Gene 2069] {aka EPR, ER, Ep}
- **Diseases:** BC (MESH:D001943), tumour (MESH:D009369)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12812163/full.md

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12812163/full.md

## References

204 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12812163/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12812163