Combined PET and near-infrared fluorescence probe based on lapatinib targeting HER2 for in vivo tumor imaging

Combination of PET and optical imaging techniques holds significant potential for complete tumor resection to optimize patient outcomes. In this study, we combined two lapatinib-based molecular probes for detecting HER2-overexoression tumors through PET and near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging. HER2 receptor had been confirmed to be overexpressed in many types of tumors and had become a specific target for molecular imaging. The radiolabeled probe [ 68 Ga] Ga-NOTA-lapatinib demonstrated superior imaging performance in micro-PET scans, achieving clear differentiation of subcutaneous tumors from adjacent tissues. Complementarily, the NIR fluorescent probe LP-S exhibited prolonged tumor retention (>72 h) with distinct signal demarcation between malignant and normal tissues in ex vivo analyses. Fluorescence microscopy further validated specific intra-tumoral accumulation of the probe at cellular resolution. This synchronized dual-probe strategy, leveraging identical targeting moieties, established a robust platform for multimodality cancer imaging that bridges preoperative detection with intraoperative visualization.