Current and future perspectives on radioligand therapy in advanced prostate cancer

Radioligand therapy (RLT) has reshaped the treatment landscape of advanced prostate cancer (PCa), offering a precision medicine approach that integrates molecular imaging with targeted radionuclide delivery, in which radioactive isotopes are bound to molecules that aim to selectively target cancer cells. The approval of 177 Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-617 for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer marked a major milestone, with randomized trials (VISION, PSMAfore) demonstrating significant improvements in overall and progression-free survival compared to standard therapies. Beyond beta-emitting agents, next-generation alpha emitters such as actinium-225 and beta/Auger electron-emitting isotopes like terbium‑161 are in active development, aiming to overcome resistance and target micrometastases with greater potency. Combination approaches, pairing RLT with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, immune checkpoint blockade, or androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, for example, are under intense investigation, with early phase data indicating potential efficacy. Technical advances in imaging, personalized dosimetry, and molecular diagnostics may enable more precise patient selection and adaptive treatment strategies, such as dose adjustment based on dosimetry or target expression. Emerging RLT platforms target additional tumor markers, including human kallikrein 2 and six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate-2 as well as bispecific ligands, addressing disease heterogeneity and expanding therapeutic reach. Nonetheless, challenges remain around long-term hematologic and renal safety, radionuclide supply, protocol standardization, and global accessibility. Ongoing and future multicenter trials, collaborative consortia, and innovations in theranostics will be critical to defining optimal patient selection, sequencing with existing therapies, and embedding RLT as a key pillar in the management of advanced PCa.