Radioligand Therapy Targets in Lymphoma
We screened every cell-surface protein with tumor immunohistochemistry data in lymphoma (including Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma). 3,396 show detectable protein staining. Established and emerging radioligand targets expressed in lymphoma include CD20 (MS4A1), CD45 (PTPRC), CD19 and c-MET (MET). Below, we rank every candidate by tumor expression, internalization and clinical maturity.
Established and emerging radioligand targets in lymphoma
Targets already pursued with radioligands or other targeted modalities that show protein expression in lymphoma:
| Target | IHC in lymphoma | % positive | Internalizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD20 (MS4A1) | High (0.97) | 100% | uncertain |
| CD45 (PTPRC) | High (0.72) | 83% | no |
| CD19 | High (0.64) | 73% | — |
| c-MET (MET) | Medium (0.47) | 92% | yes |
| HER3 (ERBB3) | Medium (0.31) | 67% | yes |
| STEAP2 | Medium (0.31) | 58% | — |
| TMEFF2 | Medium (0.31) | 50% | — |
| CD22 | Medium (0.31) | 58% | — |
| CD33 | Low (0.19) | 33% | — |
| SSTR2 | Low (0.14) | 42% | yes |
| ITGAV | Low (0.14) | 33% | — |
| B7-H3 (CD276) | Low (0.08) | 25% | — |
| CD38 | Low (0.08) | 8% | — |
| Nectin-4 (NECTIN4) | Low (0.03) | 9% | no |
Top cell-surface targets for lymphoma radioligand therapy
A data-driven screen of every protein annotated as cell-surface. It deliberately surfaces novel, unvalidated candidates, so confirm localization and expression before prioritizing any of them.
| # | Target | IHC in lymphoma | % positive | Internalizes | Clinical stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMFR autocrine motility factor receptor | High (1.00) | 100% | yes | Discovery |
| 2 | GPR139 G protein-coupled receptor 139 | High (0.97) | 100% | yes | Discovery |
| 3 | S1PR1 sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 | High (0.58) | 92% | yes | Clinical |
| 4 | IGF1R insulin like growth factor 1 receptor | High (0.72) | 100% | yes | Clinical |
| 5 | PTPN13 protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 13 | High (0.83) | 92% | yes | Discovery |
| 6 | RNF43 ring finger protein 43 | High (1.00) | 100% | — | Discovery |
| 7 | TNFRSF13C TNF receptor superfamily member 13C | High (0.94) | 100% | uncertain | Clinical |
| 8 | c-MET (MET) MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase | Medium (0.47) | 92% | yes | Clinical |
| 9 | GRK6 G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6 | High (0.75) | 100% | yes | Discovery |
| 10 | HMGA1 high mobility group AT-hook 1 | High (0.97) | 100% | — | Discovery |
| 11 | M6PR mannose-6-phosphate receptor, cation dependent | High (0.73) | 100% | yes | Discovery |
| 12 | LSR lipolysis stimulated lipoprotein receptor | High (0.73) | 100% | yes | Discovery |
| 13 | PLCG2 phospholipase C gamma 2 | High (0.97) | 100% | — | Discovery |
| 14 | GPER1 G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 | High (0.78) | 83% | yes | Discovery |
| 15 | BIN1 bridging integrator 1 | High (0.97) | 100% | — | Discovery |
| 16 | BRAF B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase | High (0.97) | 100% | — | Clinical |
| 17 | NR3C2 nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 2 | High (0.67) | 100% | uncertain | Clinical |
| 18 | TRIP11 thyroid hormone receptor interactor 11 | High (1.00) | 100% | uncertain | Discovery |
| 19 | PRKCD protein kinase C delta | High (0.97) | 100% | — | Clinical |
| 20 | CD20 (MS4A1) membrane spanning 4-domains A1 | High (0.97) | 100% | uncertain | Clinical |
| 21 | CX3CL1 C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 | High (1.00) | 100% | — | Clinical |
| 22 | PRKACB protein kinase cAMP-activated catalytic subunit beta | High (1.00) | 100% | — | Clinical |
| 23 | ATP6V1A ATPase H+ transporting V1 subunit A | High (0.94) | 100% | — | Discovery |
| 24 | MAPK1 mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 | High (0.94) | 100% | — | Clinical |
| 25 | MAPK3 mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 | High (0.94) | 100% | — | Clinical |
Internalizing receptors in lymphoma
Targets expressed in lymphoma that the literature reports internalize after ligand binding. Internalization traps the radionuclide inside the tumor cell, which matters most for β-emitters like 177Lu and for α-emitters like 225Ac:
AMFR · GPR139 · S1PR1 · IGF1R · PTPN13 · c-MET (MET) · GRK6 · M6PR · LSR · GPER1 · PTPN22 · GRK2
Lymphoma targets already in clinical development
Targets with a clinical-stage drug program (any modality) that are also expressed in lymphoma. Clinical precedent lowers development risk but usually means more competition:
S1PR1 · IGF1R · TNFRSF13C · c-MET (MET) · BRAF · NR3C2 · PRKCD · CD20 (MS4A1) · CX3CL1 · PRKACB · MAPK1 · MAPK3
How these lymphoma targets are ranked
Candidates are limited to proteins annotated as cell-surface (UniProt via Open Targets), because a radioligand has to reach its target from circulation. They are ranked by Nuclens' radiopharmaceutical pre-screen: immunohistochemistry staining and patient-sample positivity in lymphoma, literature evidence of internalization and shedding, clinical maturity, and cancer association. It is a first-pass triage, not a substitute for wet-lab validation or dosimetry. For the full framework, see what makes a good radioligand therapy target and emerging radioligand targets beyond PSMA.
Rank lymphoma targets against your own criteria: isotope, organ limits, novelty.
Run a free lymphoma analysisRadioligand therapy targets in other cancers
- Prostate Cancer
- Neuroendocrine Tumors
- Lung Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Gastric Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Glioma
- Melanoma
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Endometrial Cancer
- Skin Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
Data sources
Subcellular localization: UniProt via Open Targets (CC BY 4.0 / CC0). Tumor immunohistochemistry: Human Protein Atlas (CC BY-SA 4.0). Clinical trials: ClinicalTrials.gov (public domain). Gene essentiality: DepMap (CC BY 4.0). Internalization and shedding: AI-extracted from PubMed abstracts, so verify against the cited papers before relying on them. Nuclens is a first-pass triage layer, not a substitute for wet-lab validation or clinical dosimetry. Derived expression data on this page is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.