OnCo
targetsTarget

Somatostatin receptor 2

Somatostatin receptor 2 is a hormone receptor densely present on neuroendocrine tumours, and was the first theranostic target to reach routine care.

SSTR2 is overexpressed on well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours. 68Ga-DOTATATE PET (Netspot) and 177Lu-DOTATATE (Lutathera, NETTER-1 and NETTER-2) established the theranostic paradigm. Alpha-emitting 225Ac-DOTATATE (RYZ101) and 212Pb-DOTAMTATE are in phase 3.

Somatostatin receptor 2: what it is and how drugs act on it · animated generic schematic, not to scale
  • Target · the protein and the cell it sits on
  • Drug · antibody, small molecule, cell or radioligand
  • Effect · signal, damage or kill

In plain words · Somatostatin receptor 2 is a hormone receptor densely present on neuroendocrine tumours, and was the first theranostic target to reach routine care.

  1. 1 · What it is

    Somatostatin receptor 2 is a hormone receptor densely present on neuroendocrine tumours, and was the first theranostic target to reach routine care.

  2. 2 · What goes wrong in cancer

    G-protein-coupled receptor; also expressed in meningioma, small-cell lung cancer, and some breast cancers.

  3. 3 · How drugs use it

    7 products aim at Somatostatin receptor 2: radioligands, hormonal therapies and imaging agents. Because it sits on the outside of the cell, it can be reached from the bloodstream: antibodies flag the cell, ADCs deliver a toxin, radioligands deliver radiation, and CAR-T or bispecifics bring a T cell.

Biology

G-protein-coupled receptor; also expressed in meningioma, small-cell lung cancer, and some breast cancers.

Where it is found
  • Neuroendocrine tumours
  • Meningioma
  • Small-cell lung cancer (subset)
Class
surface antigen · SSTR2

How common it is, by cancer

CancerPrevalenceSource
Neuroendocrine tumours
80-90%
Wikipedia
Small-cell lung cancer
30-50%
Wikipedia

Approximate, population-level figures; the measure column says what was counted. Ranges show the midpoint as a bar.

Products

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Phase 3Radioligand therapy (beta)
177Lu-edotreotide

A second lutetium radioligand for neuroendocrine tumours that beat the standard pill everolimus in a head-to-head trial and is awaiting an FDA decision.

Phase 2Targeted alpha therapy (lead-212)
212Pb-DOTAMTATE · AlphaMedix

An alpha-particle version of neuroendocrine radioligand therapy that produced responses in over half of patients who had never had PRRT, with FDA Breakthrough designation.

Phase 3Targeted alpha therapy
Actinium-225 DOTATATE

An alpha-particle version of Lutathera for neuroendocrine tumours that have stopped responding to the beta version.

Not mapped herePET radiotracer (somatostatin receptor ligand)
Gallium-68 DOTATATE (and Cu-64 DOTATATE) · Netspot / Detectnet

The PET scan for neuroendocrine tumours that finds far more disease than older scans and confirms eligibility for lutetium radioligand therapy (the theranostic pair).

ApprovedRadioligand therapy (beta)
Lutetium-177 dotatate · Lutathera

Lutetium-177 dotatate was the first modern radioligand therapy (2018), for neuroendocrine tumours, and is now used in first line.

ApprovedRadiopharmaceutical (beta/gamma emitter, natural uptake)
Radioactive iodine (I-131) · Sodium iodide I-131

The original targeted radiotherapy: thyroid cells soak up iodine, so radioactive iodine destroys leftover thyroid tissue and metastases while sparing everything else.

ApprovedPeptide hormone analogue (SSTR2 agonist)
Somatostatin analogues (octreotide, lanreotide) · Sandostatin LAR, Somatuline Depot

Monthly injections of a synthetic hormone that both quiets tumour hormone symptoms and slows tumour growth, the first treatment for most neuroendocrine tumours.

Key papers

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Latest papers

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Literature trend119 papers in the last 12 months+25% vs prior 12How this is computed
Latest papers · live from Europe PMC
Open in Europe PMC

Query for this target: (TITLE:"Somatostatin receptor 2" OR ABSTRACT:"Somatostatin receptor 2" OR TITLE:"SSTR2" OR ABSTRACT:"SSTR2") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Somatostatin receptor 2, not a curated reading list.

Connected

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