Project B13

Novel radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging and therapy of adrenocortical tumors

Principal Investigators

Prof. Dr. med.
Stefanie Hahner

Uniklinikum Würzburg

Deputy Head of the Dept. of Endocrinology and Diabetology
Professor of Endocrinology (W2)
Department of Medicine I, Endocrinology and Diabetology

Hahner_S[at]ukw.de

Dr. rer. nat.
Andreas Schirbel

Uniklinikum Würzburg

Radiochemist/Radiopharmacist; Research Group Leader Department of Nuclear Medicine

Schirbel_A[at]ukw.de

Dr. med.
Carmina Teresa Fuß

Uniklinikum Würzburg

Assistant Physician
Department of Medicine I, Endocrinology and Diabetology

Fuss_C[at]ukw.de

Scientific Staff

Britta Heinze –  Postdoc
Magdalena Schneider –  Postdoc

Project Description

Project B13 aims at the development of radiolabelled CYP enzyme inhibitors for the diagnostic evaluation of adrenocortical tumours and for radiotherapy of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). In the first part of the project, we will continue to develop specific CYP11B2-inhibitors for the non-invasive differentiation between bilateral hyperplasia and aldosterone producing adenomas in primary aldosteronism. The second part of the project focuses on the development of labelled CYP17-inhibitors for theranostics of indeterminate adrenal tumours and ACC. Even though theranostic radiopharmaceuticals, such as [123/131I]iodometomidate and [123/131I]IMAZA have already been developed by us, the higher expression of CYP17 compared with CYP11B promises further improvement of these radiopharmaceuticals.

Aims

(I) Establish and optimise (radio)synthesis of additional and improved fluorinated and iodinated derivatives of known CYP17 inhibitors

(II) Evaluate novel CYP17- and CYP11B2 inhibitors in vitro

(III) Explore the most promising radiolabelled CYP17- and CYP11B2-inhibitors in available humanised animal models

Publications (CRC/TRR 205 included)