Discover the range of innovative projects our team is currently engaged in. We focus on groundbreaking research across various scientific domains.
Our group is working on a 44Ti/44Sc generator using 44Ti recycling techniques. Our motivation is to start this project is one radioisotope of interest is 44Sc (t1/2=4.04 h), which is the PET diagnostic counterpart to the therapeutic 47Sc (t1/2=3.35 d). The long-lived radioisotope 44Ti (t1/2=59.1 y) decays 100% to 44Sc to produce non-carrier added 44Sc 44Ti is an ideal candidate to create a radionuclide generator for the production of 44Sc. A 44Ti generator using fresh columns each cycle was investigated to ensure high radiochemical purity of 44Sc. We performed an optimization used shorter-lived 45Ti (t1/2=3.08 h) and 47Sc radioisotopes. In preliminary studies, the primary loading solution contained 461.26±26.7 MBq (12.47±0.7 mCi) of 45Ti spiked with 185 kBq (5 µCi) of 47Sc to mimic the ingrowth of 44Sc. Our findings show promising alternative to current 44Ti/44Sc generator systems. We are continuing the optimization of generator parameters with the goal of creating a small-scale preclinical generator using 44Ti.
The Lapi Lab is working with Oncurie and NCSU to develop theranostic agents utilizing porphyrins developed by the Lindsey lab at NCSU. Copper specific and water soluble porphyrins are synthesized by Oncurie/NCSU and functionalized with agents targeting ovarian, breast, and colorectal cancers. At UAB, we radiolabel them with copper-64 for imaging or copper-67 for therapy. We then assess their stability, targeting properties in vitro, and their biologic behavior in vivo. In partnership with Oncurie we further refine and enhance these compounds to develop agents which can be clinically translated.
Our group is advancing the 140Nd/140Pr in vivo PET generator system as a chemically matched imaging surrogate for f-block radiotherapeutics including 225Ac, 227Th, 161Tb and 177Lu. This system exploits long half-life of parent radionuclide (140Nd, 3.4 d, 100 % EC) and positron emitting characteristics of the daughter radionuclide (140Pr, 3.4 min, 51.0 % β+) to deliver the target imaging. A key aspect of this work is the development of robust production strategies, including adjacent lanthanide separation, enabling the isolation of high purity 140Nd from chemically similar praseodymium (Pr). We established a cyclotron-based production and purification workflow to obtain 140Nd suitable for biological applications. We achieved the first PET imaging of 140Nd/140Pr-labeled trastuzumab, demonstrating target-specific uptake in HER2-positive tumor models. Complementary imaging and biodistribution studies confirmed the ability of this in vivo generator system to provide high-resolution PET signals through the decay of 140Nd to the positron-emitting daughter 140Pr. These results validate the potential of the 140Nd/140Pr pair as a versatile platform for imaging f-block radiotherapeutics and support its further development toward translational applications.
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