To achieve this goal, we utilize the vast resources provided by my clinical service, the Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. These resources include clinical whole-body scanners (MRI, fMRI, PET/CT, and hyperpolarized MR), all of which are dedicated to research and development. For treatment and imaging purposes we routinely use isotopes (such as 18F, 64Cu, 89Zr, 68Ga, 177Lu, 225Ac, and 90Y), many of which are produced at our on-site cyclotron facilities.
Our focus on translation sets us apart from most other biomedical research clusters: We are not just developing novel and cutting-edge research projects and approaches – we are also translating them to the clinic.
Therefore, our researchers are not only experts in their own fields; they are also required to have a thorough understanding of unmet research questions and a commitment to the principles of team science.
To this end, the current research interests of the Weber laboratory lie in the combination of two conceptually distinct imaging techniques: intraoperative and whole-body imaging. We are developing peptidomimetic vectors selective for prostate cancer that can be localized both in whole-body scanners (MRI, PET, CT, and hyperpolarized MR) and on high-resolution intraoperative imaging platforms such as confocal endoscopy and intraoperative optical imaging.
Another field of interest is the translation of established targeted vectors into radiotherapeutic agents. We are performing preclinical studies that focus on the optimal design and delivery of 90Y, 225Ac, and 177Lu to tumor sites without the destruction or impairment of hepatic and renal excretion pathways.
