At the heart of our research lies the Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (TRNT), an innovative method of fighting cancer. In TRNT, selective binding motifs transport radionuclides to designated tumor target structures such as receptors, antigens or enzymes. Compared to conventional External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT), TRNT offers enormous potential for the treatment of metastatic tumors and is currently in focus for new, promising combination therapies.
In addition to this method, we are also investigating Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT), which is of great interest in nuclear medicine. TAT uses alpha particles, which are characterized by decisive properties:
- A high linear energy transfer (LET; 50-230 keV/µm), which enables an increased relative biological efficacy compared to other established radionuclide therapies.
- Lower penetration depths into the tissue of 50-100 µm (approx. six cell layers), which can minimize damage to healthy tissue near the tumor.
The role of the immune system in tumor development and metastasis is critical and should not be neglected. As a result, the combination of TAT with immunotherapeutic approaches is particularly lucrative to achieve synergistic effects and improved treatment efficacy.
