Laboratory for Synthesis and Development of Radiopharmaceuticals

Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals

The guiding theme of our research is technetium-99m labeling of biologically active substances for imaging diseases mainly in SPECT (single photon emission tomography), but also research on radiopharmaceutical that may be used in the PET technique (Positron emission tomography). In cooperation with the Medical University of Lodz we obtained the new bioconjugates - tacrine derivatives labeled with 99mTc for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in its initial stage.
New bioconjugate - lapatinib labeled with 99mTc to precise imaging of breast cancers was also synthesized. The great success of our group in cooperation with Medical University of Warsaw was development of  new antibiotics labelled with 99mTc i 68Ga for  imaging of inflammation of so called “Diabetic foot ". These radiopharmaceuticals are successfully used in Medical University of Warsaw.
The second direction of research, which is carried out in our two applied research projects, is searching for new methods for cyclotron obtaining of diagnostic radionuclides: 99mTc and 43,44Sc.

Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals

The main direction of our research  is the development of new methods for labeling biologically active molecules with alpha emitters: 211At, 225Ac, 223Ra and 212Pb. Thanks to the cooperation with the Joint Research Centre (JRC Karlsruhe) and the Laboratory of Los Alamos our team has constant access to the radionuclide 225Ac, while 211At is produced in the Environmental Laboratory for Heavy Ion UW and separated from the target in INCT. Radionuclides 223Ra and 212Pb are obtained from long-lived generators 227Ac / 223Ra and 228Th / 212Pb, which are available permanently. Research is focused on the labeling of biologically active molecules : Substance P - neuropeptide with the affinity to glioma cells, trastuzumab - a monoclonal antibody and molecules of affibodies and nanobodies, having affinity for the HER2 receptor which is overexpressed on many cancer cells, especially on breast cancer cells.

The second path of our research is related to the design of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals based on inorganic nanoparticles. We synthesized radiobioconjugats based on nanozeolites labeled with 223Ra, TiO2 nanoparticles labeled with 225Ac, gold nanoparticles labeled with 211At and recently multimodal nanoparticles of magnetite (Spion) labeled with 177Lu and 225Ac that can be used in conjugated magnetic hyperthermia and radionuclide therapies to fight cancer.

Projects:

  1. Projekt ALTECH pt. „Alternatywne metody produkcji technetu-99m.” Program Badań Stosowanych, Zadanie 8: „Wydzielanie Tc-99m za pomocą nanorurek TiO2 modyfikowanych cyrkonem oraz metodą ekstrakcyjną z zastosowaniem HDEHP.” i Zadanie 9: „Zbadanie możliwości znakowania radionuklidem Tc-99m w obecności jonów molibdenowych.” Kierownik zadań prof. Aleksander Bilewicz
  2. „Nanociała znakowane emiterami alfa jako potencjalne radiofarmaceutyki w celowanej radioimmunoterapii” SONATA 5,  Kierownik projektu dr Marek Pruszyński
  3. „Nanocząstki złota, siarczku złota pokrytego złotem i tlenku tytanu modyfikowanego tellurem jako nośniki At-211 w celowanej terapii promieniowaniem alfa” OPUS 6, Kierownik prof. Aleksander Bilewicz
  4. „Otrzymywanie radiofarmaceutyków opartych na radionuklidach skandu dla pozotonowej tomografii emisyjnej. Program badań stosowanych 3, Kierownik projektu prof. Aleksander Bilewicz
  5. “New radiopharmaceuticals based on alpha emitters against glioblastoma stem cells”. Fundacja Na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej, Kierownik projektu dr Agnieszka Majkowska

European Cooperation Programs COST:

  1. Action TD1402: Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Indirect Radiation Therapy (RADIOMAG)
  2. Action TD 1007: Theragnostics Imaging and Therapy: An Action to Develop Novel Nanosized Systems for Imaging-Guided Drug Delivery

STAFF:

Group leader: prof. Aleksander Bilewicz

Dr Ewa Gniazdowska
Dr Przemysław Koźmiński
Dr Monika Łyczko
Dr Agnieszka Majkowska
Dr Marek Pruszyński

PhD students

Mgr Łucja Dziawer
Mgr Barbara Filipowicz
Mgr Magdalena Gumiela
Mgr Edyta Leszczuk
Mgr Rafał Walczak

Main papers:

  1. Pruszynski, M., Lyczko, M., Bilewicz, Aleksander; et al. „Stability and in vivo behavior of Rh[16aneS(4)-diol]At-211 complex: A potential precursor for astatine radiopharmaceuticals”,  Nuclear Medicine And Biology, 42, 5, p. 439-445, 2015
  2. P. Koźmiński, E.Gniazdowska, “Synthesis and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of novel mono- and trivalent technetium-99m labeled ghrelin peptide complexes as potential diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals”, Nucl. Med. Biol., 42, p. 28-37, 2015
  3. Leszczuk E.; Janiszewska, L.; Kozminski, P.; et al. Nanoparticle bioconjugates labeled with alpha emitters “ Nuclear Medicine And Biology, 41, 7, pp: 631-631 Meeting Abstract: 68, 2014
  4. Gumiela, M.; Gniazdowska, E.; Kozminski, P.; et al. „A new simple way separation of Tc-99m from Mo-100 target” Nuclear Medicine And Biology, 41, 7, p. 649-649, Meeting Abstract: 2014
  5. E. Gniazdowska, P. Koźmiński, K. Bańkowski, W. Łuniewski, L. Królicki, “Synthesis, physicochemical and biological evaluation of technetium-99m labeled lapatinib as a novel potential tumor imaging agent of Her-2 positive breast cancer”, Eur. J. Med. Chem.  87, p. 493-499, 2014
  6. E. Gniazdowska, P. Koźmiński, K. Bańkowski, and P. Ochman, “ 99mTc-Labeled Vasopressin Peptide as a Radiopharmaceutical for Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Diagnosis”, J. Med. Chem., 57, p.5986-5994, 2014
  7. Piotrowska, A.; Leszczuk, E.; Bruchertseifer, F.; et al. “Functionalized NaA nanozeolites labeled with Ra-224,Ra-225 for targeted alpha therapy” Journal Of Nanoparticle Research, 15, 11, Article Number: UNSP 2082, 2013