Platform Combines Two Chemistry Techniques
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are developing the “plug-and-play” platform designed to simplify and accelerate the production of radiotracers for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The project is supported by a four-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The platform combines a universal radioactive building block, which can be attached to different biological molecules, with a compact device designed to bring the components together. The goal is to facilitate the development of radiotracers targeting specific biological markers, including those associated with cancer.
Radiotracers combine a small amount of radioactive material with a biological molecule that targets a specific structure or process in the body. PET scanners detect the radioactive signal to visualize biological activity and changes over time. However, attaching radioactive substances to newly identified biological markers remains technically demanding and requires specialized equipment and facilities.
The research team is led by Kai Chen, PhD, professor of research radiology, radiation oncology and pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences at the Keck School of Medicine. In collaboration with researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the team is developing a device that uses a small chip to produce radiotracers.
The approach integrates click chemistry, which enables molecules to be joined rapidly, with droplet radiochemistry, which conducts reactions in very small droplets using limited amounts of material.
Initial Research Targets Cancer Biomarkers
Preliminary research suggests that the approach can produce new radiotracers that could help detect and study several types of cancer. One tracer is designed to target fibroblast activation protein, which is found at high levels in many tumors. The team is also testing tracers designed specifically to detect liver and prostate cancer.
“These findings are important because they show that click chemistry can rapidly generate tracers for multiple cancer biomarkers and that these tracers can be produced on a very small scale,” Chen noted. “The funded project will further develop the platform and test it with a broader range of cancer-targeted tracers.”
Beyond oncology, the platform could potentially be adapted to produce radiotracers for other conditions, including neurological diseases.
Development and Testing Planned
Over the next one to two years, the team plans to optimize the device and test a range of radiotracers, comparing their performance with that of established tracers. The researchers will then build and refine the final device, conduct quality control and preclinical testing, and begin working toward clinical applications.
If successful, the platform could automate and simplify radiotracer production, lowering costs and reducing the resources required to develop new tracers. This could make it possible to produce a wider range of customized tracers and potentially expand access to PET imaging.
Source: Keck School of Medicine of USC
