Detail

Keywords

Metabolism; Molecular Imaging; Oncology; Radioactive Tracers

Research interests

My research focuses on helping to understand the relevance of various cellular and metabolic pathways for proper organ function. Utilizing small amounts of a radioactively labeled substance, it is possible to image various receptors and a variety of peptides potentially involved in the metabolism and pathology of diseases and tumors in the field of nuclear medicine in which I work. Therefore, via molecular imaging targeting receptors and biochemical processes specifically involved in disease etiology and tumor pathogenesis, nuclear medicine plays a pivotal role in the field of endocrinology, oncology, cardiology, and brain metabolism.

Using the similar approach, but employing specific radionuclides suitable for therapy, radionuclide-labeled therapies have been developed that specifically target certain receptors that are overexpressed in certain disorder and tumor cells, thereby systemically destroying the local tumor and its distant metastases; a process called targeted theranostics.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging employing various radio-labeled peptides targeting cells and specific receptors responsible for tumor and cellular metabolism at the molecular level.

Selected publications

1. Rasul, S. et al. (2019) ‘Clinical outcome of standardized 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy in metastatic prostate cancer patients receiving 7400 MBq every 4 weeks’, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 47(3), pp. 713–720. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-019-04584-1.
2. Wollenweber, T. et al. (2021) ‘Renal and Salivary Gland Functions after Three Cycles of PSMA-617 Therapy Every Four Weeks in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer’, Current Oncology, 28(5), pp. 3692–3704. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol28050315.
3. Geist, B.K. et al. (2023) ‘Excretion of glucose analogue with SGLT2 affinity predicts response effectiveness to sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus’, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 50(10), pp. 3034–3041. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06256-7.
4. Rasul, S. et al. (2018) ‘[18F]DOPA PET/ceCT in diagnosis and staging of primary medullary thyroid carcinoma prior to surgery’, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 45(12), pp. 2159–2169. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-018-4045-9.
5. Clauser, P. et al. (2023) ‘Prospective validation of 18F-Fluoroethylcholine as a tracer in PET/MRI for the evaluation of breast lesions and prediction of lymph node status’, La radiologia medica, 128(6), pp. 689–698. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-023-01633-6.