Theranostics with Radiolabeled Nanomaterials

Radiolabeled nanomaterials have gained tremendous interest over the last 2 decades, which can play diverse roles in imaging, image-guided drug delivery, as well as theranostics of a number of diseases such as cancer. Some recent examples of radiolabeled materials from our recent work will be briefly described in this talk.

Although chelator-based radiolabeling techniques (commonly used for labeling nanomaterials with radiometals such as 64Cu/89Zr) have been used for decades, concerns about the complexity of coordination chemistry, possible alteration of nanomaterial pharmacokinetics, and potential detachment of radioisotopes have driven the need for developing a simpler yet better technique for future radiolabeling, which may facilitate future clinical translation.

The emerging area of intrinsically radiolabeled nanomaterials can take advantage of the unique physical and chemical properties of well-selected inorganic or organic nanomaterials for radiolabeling, and more importantly, offer an easier, faster, and more specific radiolabeling possibility to facilitate future clinical translation. Generally speaking, the four major categories of intrinsically radiolabeled nanomaterials include: 1) hot-plus-cold precursors, 2) specific trapping, 3) cation exchange, and 4) proton beam activation.

Representative examples of these strategies will be briefly illustrated in this talk, with the main focus on our own work that involves the radiolabeling of a variety of nanomaterials via “specific trapping”. The nanomaterials investigated in our laboratory include silica/carbon-based nanomaterials, COVID-19 nano-vaccines, multifunctional/multimodal hybrid nanomaterials, iron oxide nanoparticles, micelles, DNA nanostructures, etc.

About the speaker:

Weibo Cai is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Radiology, Medical Physics, Materials Science & Engineering, and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He received a BS degree in Chemistry from Nanjing University, China (1995) and a PhD degree in Chemistry from the University of California San Diego (2004). Between 2005 and 2008, Dr. Cai did his post-doctoral research in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford University. In February 2008, Dr. Cai joined the University of Wisconsin - Madison as a Biomedical Engineering Cluster Hire, and was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2014, and Full Professor in 2018. Dr. Cai’s research at UW-Madison (http://mi.wisc.edu) is primarily focused on molecular imaging and nanobiotechnology.