Sherry Yennello

University Distinguished Professor, Regent’s Professor of Chemistry, Bright Chair in Nuclear Science, Director of the Cyclotron Institute, Director of the Nuclear Solutions Institute, Texas A&M University

Federica Pisaneschi

Assistant Professor, John S. Dunn Research Scholar, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)

The Texas two-step: Texas A&M and Texas Medical Center Houston

ABSTRACT

In Texas, Texas A&M merged their expertise in producing and reliably delivering 211At with the Texas Medical Center extensive experience in radiochemistry, molecular imaging, targeted radiotherapy and theranostics. The 211At is produced using a 28.8MeV alpha beam on a Bi target, which is then dissolved in nitric acid. The 211At is separated using a chromatography column with a 3-octanone impregnated resin, which is then dried and shipped. The resin was received by colleagues at MD Anderson Cancer Center within 6 h from production. The radiochemistry team successfully eluted 211At from the resin and reacted it with a model compound via a copper-mediated deboronation-astatination method. It’s worth noting that 207Bi, decay product of 211At, was washed from the column before eluting the 211At, so that the 211At was released in high radiochemical purity. The same elution-synthetic method was used to successfully radiolabel 211At-Talazoparib, a poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, for potential applications in targeting alpha therapy. 211At-Talazoparib was obtained in 3.6±3.8% (n=9) activity yield, >99% radiochemical purity and was stable at 4 °C and room temperature up to 12 hs. This work showed the potential of delivering 211At on resin to distant sites, and provides another example of a 211At-labeled biologically active compound with potential clinical applications.

SPEAKER BIO | SHERRY YENNELLO

Sherry J. Yennello Ph.D., a Regents Professor in Chemistry at Texas A&M University, sits as the Director of the Cyclotron Institute overseeing research conducted by graduate students and post-doctoral candidates. Prof. Yennello currently acts as the Cyclotron Institute Bright Chair of Nuclear Science.

The award-winning scientist is internationally known for her contributions to nuclear science. Her career began at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she earned her B.S. in 1985. Prof. Yennello continued on to receive her Ph.D. at Indiana University in 1990 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow from 1991-1992 at Michigan State University.

SPEAKER BIO | Federica Pisaneschi

My laboratory designs, develops, validates and translates novel radiopharmaceuticals. My research also focuses on the mechanistic-based use of less known imaging agents for novel biological application, and on more basic radiochemistry discovery, aimed to implement new radiolabeling methodologies for broad applicability.

Students in my research team will learn how a radiopharmaceutical is designed, synthesized, developed and produced, and how it can be validated preclinically in cellular cultures and animal models. If the radiopharmaceutical is a therapeutic agent, students will learn how to validate efficacy. If the radiopharmaceutical is an imaging agent for PET, then they will be trained in the use of the PET scanner and acquiring and analyzing PET data. Current studies in my laboratory focus on PET imaging of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, multimodal imaging of prostate cancer, including PET and MRI, and development of novel RPs for prostate cancer.

Projects can be tailored to meet the interests of the prospective student and be more biology focused (validation of novel RPs or use of known RPs in novel contexts), imaging focused (PET imaging of neuroinflammation/degeneration or cancer), or chemistry focused (new radiolabeling methods).

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