Treatment process using somatostatin analogues

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for treating a cancerous disease is provided which includes characterizing a disease by an overexpression of one or more somatostatin receptors, and exposing the one or more somatostatin receptors to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a somatostatin analogue which binds to the one or more somatostatin receptors. In one example, the somatostatin analogue may have the general formula: wherein Z is optionally present or absent and when present is selected from the group consisting of DOTA-based chelators, DTPA-based chelators, NOTA-based chelators, carbonyl compounds, hydrazino nicotinamide, N4-chelators, desferrioxamine, NS-chelators, tyrosine for halogenation, a fluorescent dye, and biotin; L is optionally present or absent and when present is a linker molecule; X1 is a symmetric or asymmetric diamino acid containing 3 or 4 consecutive carbon atoms; X2 is a positively charged natural or unnatural amino acid, an arginine mimic, citrulline, or a neutral amino acid; X3 is phenylalanine, Ala-[3-(2-thienyl)], α-naphthylalanine, or β-naphthylalanine; X4 is an aromatic amino acid; X5 is threonine or serine; and X6 is phenylalanine, Ala-[3-(2-thienyl)], α-naphthylalanine, or β-naphthylalanine.