Translocator protein (TSPO) in glioma: implications for diagnosis, disease progression monitoring, and targeted therapies

Glioma is a highly aggressive brain cancer associated with significant mortality. Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, the prognosis for glioma patients remains poor due to limited diagnostic accuracy and monitoring capabilities. Translocator protein (TSPO) is a mitochondrial protein implicated in various cancers, including glioma, where it plays a significant role in cell survival, proliferation, and chemo-resistance. This review article aimed to comprehensively analyze the role of TSPO in glioma, particularly its potential applications in enhancing diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies. Molecular imaging techniques have emerged as promising tools for non-invasive diagnosis, disease progression monitoring, and treatment selection of gliomas. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore TSPO’s expression patterns, biological functions, and applications in molecular imaging. Studies utilizing positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other imaging modalities were included. TSPO is overexpressed in glioma cells, particularly in high-grade tumors, correlating with tumor aggressiveness and patient prognosis. TSPO-targeted imaging agents demonstrate high specificity and sensitivity for glioma detection, positioning TSPO as a promising marker for accurate diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. Future studies should focus on optimizing TSPO imaging protocols, validating their clinical utility, and exploring combined imaging modalities to improve diagnostic precision.