Picture of a magnetic resonance tomograph
© EIMI/Jahn Müller

Translational Imaging Lab (Prof. Michael Schäfers)

Driven by clinical challenges we aim at the design of novel molecular and cellular imaging strategies specifically visualizing hallmarks of human disease. Such new strategies are tested in preclinical disease models at EIMI and, if successful, further developed towards first-in-human use. This translational work is supported by a tight link to the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital of Münster that is headed by M. Schäfers. There, a cyclotron, a GMP-PET radiochemistry and state-of-the-art clinical hybrid scanners such as PET-CT and PET-MRI allow translational studies in well-defined patient cohorts preparing for future clinical trials.

  • Team

  • Projects

    Imaging of inflammation using microscopy (left) and whole-body imaging (PET-CT, right)
    © Uni MS – AG Kiefer/AG Schäfers

    Collaborative Research Centre “inSight – Multiscale imaging of organ-specific inflammation” (CRC 1450)

    In this collaborative research project, we focus on the question of how the body regulates inflammation in different organs and, to this end, develop a specific imaging methodology that brings together information from single cells to entire organisms.

    Spokesperson: Michael Schäfers (EIMI), Deputy Spokesperson: Friedemann Kiefer (EIMI)
    Project term: 01/2025 - 12/2028
    Project number: CRC/1450 | DFG

     

    Imaging of kidney function through 99mTc-MAG3 in a mouse
    © AG Schäfers M

    Clinical Research Unit "Organ Dysfunction During Systemic Inflammation " (CRU 342) Project P8 “The role of glutamine in acute kidney injury”

    Through molecular and microscopic imaging we investigate molecular, immunological and cellular signalling pathways that are relevant for systemic inflammatory reactions such as sepsis and subsequent kidney injury. The focus of this project is on understanding the effect of glutamine treatment for prevention of acute kidney injury.

    Principal investigators: Alexander Zarbock, Michael Schäfers (EIMI)
    Project term: 02/2020 - 01/2023
    Project number: CRU 342 | DFG

    TraCAR: non-invasive imaging of the pharmacokinetics and optimization of CAR T-cell therapies of solid tumors

    CAR T-cell immunotherapy of tumors is a promising new approach to treat cancers, which already showed great success in hematological tumors. Aim of this project is the establishment of nuclear imaging strategies for the visualization of CAR T-cells in a preclinical setting. This enables the imaging-assisted optimization of novel and improved CAR T-cell therapies - potentially also in patients.

    Coordinator: Wa’el al Rawashdeh, Miltenyi Biotec, Bergisch Gladbach
    EIMI members involved as partners: Michael Schäfers, Sonja Schelhaas
    Project term: 12/2019 - 11/2022
    Project number: Leitmarktagentur.NRW, LS-2-2-050

    Distribution of immune cells in the body of a mouse, imaged with optical imaging
    © S. Gran & L. Honold et al./Theranostics 2018(8)

    Immune-Image

    In this project, we develop methods for monitoring immune cells before, during and after immune treatment. Initially, we will look at these processes in animal models for different diseases – with the aim of translating the results and methods to patients mid-term enabling us to establish image-guided immunotherapies with improved efficacy in diseases such as cancer or inflammation.

    Coordinator: Albert D. Windhorst (Amsterdam University Medical Centre, the Netherlands)
    EIMI members involved as partners: Michael Schäfers, Andreas Jacobs, Andreas Faust, Sven Hermann, Friedemann Kiefer, Sabine Stötzer
    Project term: 10/2019 - 09/2024
    Project number: Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking, grant agreement No 831514

    MMP activity in the brain of a MS patient
    © Gerwien & Hermann et al., Sci. Transl. Med. 8, 364ra152 (2016) 9 November 2016

    Molecular mechanisms and in vivo tracking of leukocyte penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in autoimmune CNS inflammation

    We investigate the function of MMP-2 and MMP-9 at the blood-brain barrier. Our goal is to exploit MMP activity as an imaging biomarker for leukocytes penetrating this barrier in correlation to imaging of T cell dynamics in vivo and thus, to better understand lesion formation and resolution in multiple sclerosis.

    Principal investigators: Lydia Sorokin, Michael Schäfers (EIMI)
    Project term: 07/2012 - 06/2020
    Project number: CRC/TRR 128 B03 | DFG Collaborative Research Centre / Transregio 128 "Multiple Sclerosis"

    Preclinical Imaging eXperts (PIX)

    The Core Unit "Preclinical Imaging eXperts" (PIX) of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research (IZKF) provides access to multimodal imaging technologies for cooperative research in a highly integrated structure. In the frame of PIX, our lab offers nuclear imaging SPECT and PET in combination with CT or MRI (1T), optical imaging, and photoacoustic imaging.

    Coordinators: Sven Hermann (EIMI), Michael Schäfers (EIMI)
    Project term: since 01/2012
    Project funding: IZKF Core Unit PIX | Medical Faculty, University of Münster

  • Publications