Reagan 

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is among the most lethal malignancies, with a 5 year survival rate of 5% despite advanced treatment options like chemotherapy. However, previous research has discovered that CD133, a cancer stem cell on the surface of SCLC tumors, actively resists chemotherapy treatment by renewing dormant cancer cells. This is an issue for patients as there is no current alternative treatment. In this paper, scientists explore whether radiopharmaceutical therapy could target CD133-stem cells to manage SCLC by releasing radiation that kills the cells. To test their hypothesis, scientists combined a radionuclide, a chelator, and an antibody in a solution for in vivo studies. Four cohorts of mice, who had previously been injected with tumor cell lines and developed SCLC tumors, were given different dosages of the aforementioned radiopharmaceutical solution: one group was treated as a control, while the other three were given 1) just the antibody and chelator solution, or 2) a low dosage of the complete radiopharmaceutical, or 3) a higher dose of the same solution. Tumor volume and weight were collected from the mice every three days. The study concluded that, at a high dosage, the complete radiopharmaceutical was the most effective for both preserving the health of the mouse and slowing down tumor growth. These findings thereby suggest that a radiopharmaceutical targeting the CD133 stem cell is a prospective treatment for SCLC. In the future, the lab hopes to explore how the safety of radiopharmaceuticals could be improved by working with a smaller antibody that moves through the body faster.