Dynamic PET-MRI for integrated quantification of molecular immune responses and their vascular consequences

Principal investigators: Philipp Backhaus, Florian Büther
Project number: CRC 1450 B06
Project term: 01/2021–12/2028

Graphical abstract
© CRC inSight

The aim of the project is to elaborate synergistic links between PET and MRI in a hybrid PET-MRI system by dual dynamic recordings of arterial input functions and pharmacokinetic modelling (1). A framework to deduce the PET arterial input function from MRI will be established by performing simultaneous recordings in animals, and finally tested in patient scans (2, 3).

Building on this, approaches will be evaluated to integrate MRI-derived information on perfusion and permeability into PET modelling in mouse models of ischemia driven inflammation in the heart and kidney (4) to uncover and better understand unspecific radiotracer uptake phenomena (5, 6).

Novel DCE-MRI setup (A) for extracorporeal measurements of PET/MRI arterial input function (AIF) in mice, including two reservoirs for determination of DCE-MRI AIFs and a radiation detector for radiotracer AIFs. Corresponding maximum-intensity-projections (MIPs) of an exemplary DCE-MRI scan at different timepoints after injection [s] (B). This method allows us to quantitatively detect changes in the perfusion of glioblastoma in mice using DCE-MRI images (C) and thus improving clinical decision making in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The accuracy of our method is finally cross-validated with autoradiography (left) and LA-ICP-MS (right) in cooperation with project B02 (D).
© Florian Gierse M.D. candidate / research group Michael Schäfers; project head Florian Büther and Philipp Backhaus; LA-ICP-MS analysis provided by Katharina Kronenberg / research group Uwe Karst

Team

Principal investigators

Project members

Publications

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.

2026

Backhaus P, Cazzamalli S, Oehler S, Buther F, Brosch-Lenz J, Landau F, Breyholz H-J, Claesener M, Migliorini F, Ciamarone A, Georgiev T, Mock J, Ventura D, Barca C, Schiefelbein L, Hermann S, Schafers K, Gierse F, Bernemann C, Schlack K, Bogemann M, Puca E, Schindler P, Neri D, Rahbar K, Schrader AJ, Seifert KE, Schafers M. Translational and First-in-Human Positron Emission Tomography Targeting Prostatic Acid Phosphatase in Prostate Cancer Using the Ligand [(68)Ga]Ga-OncoACP3-DOTA. Eur Urol 2026;89: 305-310. Abstract
Brosch-Lenz J, Buther F, Oehler S, Ciamarone A, Georgiev T, Schindler P, Landau F, Breyholz H-J, Ventura D, Rust M, Schlack K, Bogemann M, Puca E, Mock J, Cazzamalli S, Neri D, Rahbar K, Schrader AJ, Schafers M, Seifert KE, Backhaus P. Dynamics, Pharmacokinetics, and Dosimetry of First-in-Human [(68)Ga]Ga-OncoACP3-DOTA PET in Patients with Prostate Cancer. J Nucl Med 2026;67: 1079-1085. Abstract
Özdemir Z, Brederecke T, Backhaus P, Gallus M, Ellens N, Küllenberg E, Schäfers M, Stummer W, Müther M, Barca C. Preclinical evidence of sonodynamic therapy in glioblastoma and challenges towards clinical translation: a review of the literature. npj Acoust. 2026;2Abstract
Schindler P, Brandt J, Bobe S, Krahling T, Ventura D, Plasger A, Gotte M, Kiesel L, Dorten PM, Witteler R, Liehn L, Hanker L, Schafers M, Eltrop S, Backhaus P. Initial Results of FAPI PET/MRI to Assess the Extent of Endometriosis. J Nucl Med 2026;67: 1232-1238. Abstract
Ventura D, Schafers M, Bobe S, Buther F, Brandt J, Stegger L, Bruggemann P, Roll W, Rahbar K, Schindler P, Backhaus P. FAP-targeted [(68)Ga]BED003-PET in different solid malignancies. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2026;53: 4977-4987. Abstract

2023

Cufe J, Gierse F, Schäfers KP, Hermann S, Schäfers MA, Backhaus P, Büther F. Dispersion-corrected extracorporeal arterial input functions in PET studies of mice: a comparison to intracorporeal microprobe measurements. EJNMMI Res 2023;13: 86. Abstract
Galbiati A, Dorten P, Gilardoni E, Gierse F, Bocci M, Zana A, Mock J, Claesener M, Cufe J, Büther F, Schäfers K, Hermann S, Schäfers M, Neri D, Cazzamalli S, Backhaus P. Tumor-Targeted Interleukin 2 Boosts the Anticancer Activity of FAP-Directed Radioligand Therapeutics. J Nucl Med 2023Abstract

2022

Backhaus P, Burg MC, Asmus I, Pixberg M, Büther F, Breyholz H-J, Yeh R, Weigel SB, Stichling P, Heindel W, Bobe S, Barth P, Tio J, Schäfers M. Initial Results of FAPI-PET/MRI to Assess Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer. J Nucl Med 2022Abstract
Backhaus P, Burg MC, Roll W, Büther F, Breyholz H-J, Weigel S, Heindel W, Pixberg M, Barth P, Tio J, Schäfers M. Simultaneous FAPI PET/MRI Targeting the Fibroblast-Activation Protein for Breast Cancer. Radiology 2022;302: 39-47. Abstract
Backhaus P, Gierse F, Burg MC, Büther F, Asmus I, Dorten P, Cufe J, Roll W, Neri D, Cazzamalli S, Millul J, Mock J, Galbiati A, Zana A, Schäfers KP, Hermann S, Weckesser M, Tio J, Wagner S, Breyholz H-J, Schäfers M. Translational imaging of the fibroblast activation protein (FAP) using the new ligand [(68)Ga]Ga-OncoFAP-DOTAGA. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022;49: 1822-1832. Abstract
Zana A, Galbiati A, Gilardoni E, Bocci M, Millul J, Sturm T, Stucchi R, Elsayed A, Nadal L, Cirillo M, Roll W, Stegger L, Asmus I, Backhaus P, Schäfers M, Neri D, Cazzamalli S. Fibroblast Activation Protein triggers release of drug payload from non-internalizing small molecule-drug conjugates in solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2022Abstract