Hancheng Cai, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Radiology, Director of Cyclotron and PET Radiochemistry Facility, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Florida

TSHR-targeted α-radioimmunotherapy for Radioiodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

ABSTRACT

Targeted α-radiotherapeutics deliver high radiation doses directly to tumor cells, providing a potent treatment option for advanced thyroid cancers. This approach has the potential to overcome the current standard-of-care radioiodine (RAI) therapy resistance, representing a significant advancement in precision cancer treatment. The thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), which is uniquely expressed in thyroid tissues and thyroid tumors, serves as a compelling target for both imaging and therapy in advanced thyroid cancers. Our ongoing research focuses on developing 211At-labeled human antibodies or antibody fragments for TSHR-targeted α-radioimmunotherapy to treat advanced thyroid cancers.

SPEAKER BIO

Hancheng Cai, PhD, is a radiochemist and molecular imaging scientist. My clinical work focus on FDA cGMP PET drug production facility implementation and operation. Briefly, Dr. Cai oversees all the clinical production of PET tracers at Mayo Clinic Florida, leads a team to produce FDA-approved PET drugs for daily clinical use, and investigational tracers (F-18/C-11 labeled compounds as INDs) for PET imaging of cancer cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders in human.

Dr. Cai’s research aims to developing novel radiopharmaceuticals for the imaging and therapy of cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular diseases from preclinical discovery to clinical investigation. Specifically, his research work focus on development novel radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging of cancer biology/metabolism, immunotherapy, inflammation, and neurological disorders.

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