The key and often limiting factor in nuclear medicine, and PET in particular, is the availability of radiopharmaceuticals, often referred to as “tracers”. Only a few of a large number of synthesized PET tracers reach the clinic or become clinically relevant despite their potential.
The primary objective of this proposal is to increase the number of clinically relevant radiotracers and make these available through strengthening the overall radiochemistry competence within 180 °N. This objective will be met by establishing a consortium-wide tracer implementation framework based on the experience already gained in Bergen. Tracers primarily needed for the clinical multi-center studies will be made locally available throughout the consortium. Novel tracers will be multi-center validated, drawing on the combined expertise, competence and resources.
In order to address these issues, we aim to streamline the whole radiotracer production and validation process at all involved sites. The consortium members will jointly validate and prepare manufacturing authorizations to the Norwegian Medicinal Agency (NOMA). This will not only speed up the process, but also make more PET-tracers locally available across all PET centers in Norway and concomitantly speed up the process. The long-term goals are to provide better health care, improve the decision-making process and reduce the currently very high costs for shipment of tracers. This will also exploit the potential in PET/MR multimodal imaging now available across the consortium. The increase in the number of available radiopharmaceuticals is by far due to efforts in radiochemistry, radiopharmaceutical and organic chemistry. 180 °N will comprise a cross-disciplinary team with a long and well-established experience in organic synthesis, organometallic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Together the joint effort will be made to develop new PET tracers and theranostic approaches. The Bergen research package will work synergistically with those headed by Tromsø and Trondheim in 180 °N.
Tom Christian Holm Adamsen
Leader
Partners
Work Packages:
WP1: Precursor and Radiolabeling Methodology
In WP1 “Precursor and Radiolabeling Methodology” we will use contemporary organic synthesis strategies for preparing facile radiolabeling substituents. This will include catalytic functionalization for 18F or 11C labeling, solid supported resin-bound methods and other late stage functionalization strategies. The strategies explored here will also be developed into methods for instrumental radiolabeling using current radiosynthesis modules…
WP2: Metal Chelators and Immuno-PET tracers
Radiolabeling with the promising radionuclide 45Ti and their immobilization on relevant peptides and development of peptide-chelator conjugates for immuno-PET imaging applications will be in focus. We are aiming to implement an efficient method for 45Ti isotope trapping via diol- functionalized resins, subsequently study the decomplexation of resin-bound 45Ti by wrapping the titanium with multidentate and…
WP3: Targeting tyrosine kinases for development of novel selective radioendotheranostics for glioblastoma
This work package will draw the current consortium wide expertise in kinase inhibitors (KIs) and jointly develop small molecule KIs for imaging and treatment of brain tumors. To achieve our goals we will utilize a dual strategy: Development of novel KIs radiolabeled with 11C and 18F and development of novel bioconjugates containing a therapeutic radiometal….
WP4: Tracer Implementation
Development of new tracers takes on average 13 years, similar to other pharmaceuticals. In order to increase patient care and precision diagnostics during the timeframe of this project, much attention will be given to WP4 “Tracer Implementation” to increase the number of locally available PET tracers. Due to the aforementioned costs associated with transport and…
