Research Group Roger Schibli

Keywords

PET/CT, SPET/CT, Theragnostics, radiotracer development, translational molecular imaging

Summary & Mission statement

The Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences -a joint endeavor of the ETHZurichandthe Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) -createsnovel radioactive drugs for non-invasive diagnosis and therapy of metastatic cancerous lesions and novel radiotracers for the visualization of molecular functions of the brain, the heart and tumors with the aim to transfer them in a clinical practice (bench-to-bedside).

Overview

The research of the CRS is devoted to the development of innovative, targeted tumor therapies using radioactively labeled molecules. This also includes non-invasive diagnosis with Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT)and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Radiometal-labeled monoclonal antibodies,peptides and small molecules have proven to be valid for the detection and treatment of aggressive metastatic diseases. Critical issues we address with our research in the future are

• to choose the most appropriate radionuclide,
• to improve the targeting efficacy of existing biomolecules,
• to reduce the radiation exposure ofnon-targeted tissue and organs.

To this aim, the CRS is expanding the portfolio of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclidessuch as 44Sc for diagnosis and 161Tb for therapy. We select suitable targets through collaborations with academic and industrial partners and optimize targeting moleculesstraightforward from bench-to-bedsidewith clinical partners in Switzerland and Europe. The CRS possessescyclotrons, biological and chemical laboratories as well as pre-clinical imaging facilities. On top, we haveSwissmedic-approved GMP laboratories at PSI and the ETHZ.