Activated monocytes and granulocytes are key to inflammatory diseases and release the alarmin S100A8/A9 in high concentrations, promoting sterile as well as infectious inflammatory processes via TLR4 (1). We will establish a specific S100A8/A9 small molecule ligand through combination of X-ray structure analysis and chemical synthesis (2, 3). The ligand will be linked to different labels suited for PET, SPECT, fluorescent or photoacoustic imaging techniques (4).
In summary, we will create a new S100 alarmin-based imaging toolset to monitor inflammatory responses with respect to their spatial location and temporal dynamics at various scales in living organisms.
The names of the principal investigators in our network have been bolded. Publications released prior to 2021, when funding for our network commenced, represent previous project-related work.
2025
Faust A, Berdel AF, Bruns E, Baumer N, Krassuski T, Wittmann L, Franke L, Maisuls I, Niland S, Eble JA, Strassert CA, Lenz G, Berdel WE, Baumer S. Photodynamic ROS inducers delivered via electrostatic antibody targeted (ELART) nanocarriers incorporate into tumour cells and inhibit colony growth. Chem Commun (Camb) 2025;61: 8079-8082. Abstract
2024
Horstmann M, Quarles CDJ, Happel S, Sperling M, Faust A, Rahbar K, Clases D, Karst U. Quantification of [(99)Tc]TcO(4)(-) in urine by means of anion-exchange chromatography-aerosol desolvation nebulization-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024Abstract
Landau F, Hermann S, Schelhaas S, Schafers M, Niemann S, Faust A. 18F-labelled gentiobiose as potential PET-radiotracer for specific bacterial imaging: precursor synthesis, radiolabelling and in vitro evaluation. Nuklearmedizin 2024Abstract
Sailaja STN, Maisuls I, Hepp A, Brunink D, Doltsinis NL, Faust A, Hermann S, Strassert CA. Dual Emissive Zn(II) Naphthalocyanines: Synthesis, Structural and Photophysical Characterization with Theory-Supported Insights towards Soluble Coordination Compounds with Visible and Near-Infrared Emission. Int J Mol Sci 2024;25Abstract
2023
Hau J-L, Kremser H, Knogl-Tritschler S, Stefanski V, Steuber J, Fritz G. Fast IMAC purification of non-tagged S100A8/A9 (calprotectin) from Homo sapiens and Sus scrofa. Protein Expr Purif 2023;208-209: 106275. Abstract
Horstmann M, Austrup M, Busch F, Faust A, Sperling M, Karst U, Clases D. Speciation analysis of Tc radiopharmaceuticals by HPLC-ICP-MS and HPLC-ESI-HRMS. J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 2023;38: 2038-2045.
Roll W, Faust A, Hermann S, Schäfers M. Infection Imaging: Focus on New Tracers?. J Nucl Med 2023;64: 59s-67s. Abstract
Stegmann DP, Steuber J, Fritz G, Wojdyla JA, Sharpe ME. Fast fragment and compound screening pipeline at the Swiss Light Source. Methods Enzymol 2023;690: 235-284. Abstract
Steiner ST, Maisuls I, Junker A, Fritz G, Faust A, Strassert CA. Concerning the photophysics of fluorophores towards tailored bioimaging compounds: a case study involving S100A9 inflammation markers. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2023;22: 2093-2104. Abstract
2022
Honold L, Austrup M, Faust A, Konken CP, Schwegmann K, Zinnhardt B, Daniliuc CG, Haufe G, Schäfers M, Kopka K, Hermann S. Towards Optimized Bioavailability of (99m)Tc-Labeled Barbiturates for Non-invasive Imaging of Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity. Mol Imaging Biol 2022;24: 434-443. Abstract
2018
Völler T, Faust A, Roth J, Schäfers M, Vogl T, Hermann S. A Non-Peptidic S100A9 Specific Ligand for Optical Imaging of Phagocyte Activity In Vivo. Mol Imaging Biol 2018;20: 407-416. Abstract
2013
Damo SM, Kehl-Fie TE, Sugitani N, Holt ME, Rathi S, Murphy WJ, Zhang Y, Betz C, Hench L, Fritz G, Skaar EP, Chazin WJ. Molecular basis for manganese sequestration by calprotectin and roles in the innate immune response to invading bacterial pathogens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013;110: 3841-3846. Abstract
2012
Koch M, Fritz G. The structure of Ca2+-loaded S100A2 at 13-A resolution. Febs J 2012;279: 1799-1810. Abstract
2007
Ostendorp T, Leclerc E, Galichet A, Koch M, Demling N, Weigle B, Heizmann CW, Kroneck PMH, Fritz G. Structural and functional insights into RAGE activation by multimeric S100B. Embo J 2007;26: 3868-3878. Abstract
