A process that can save lives

Translational research – an example from nuclear medicine

Translational research takes place worldwide in several sequential phases. Nuclear medicine specialist Professor Philipp Backhaus is primarily involved in the early phases of translation, specialising in the imaging and therapy of tumours and inflammation at the University Hospital Münster (UKM) and the European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI) at the University of Münster. For several months, his team has been contributing to the development of the drug “OncoACP3”, which aims to improve the examination of prostate cancer.

From basic research to first translational steps

Nuclear medicine uses radioactively labelled medications, also known as radiopharmaceuticals, to produce images from inside the body. These substances bind to specific molecules involved in disease processes. To develop new possibilities for nuclear medicine imaging, it is often necessary to research the molecular processes underlying a disease. In the case of “OncoACP3”, the goal was to find a precisely fitting molecule that specifically binds to prostate cancer cells, making metastases visible. This was recently achieved by the Swiss biotech company “philochem AG”. The company identified a small molecule that binds to the protein ACP3 on prostate cancer cells and confirmed this in cell cultures. The research team at the University of Münster then developed a path to radioactively label the molecule in cooperation with the company and ensured that the new radiopharmaceutical remains stable in blood serum in the test tube. This was an important prerequisite for the first translational step. In targeted studies, the team examined the distribution and uptake in tumour cells in a mouse model. To do this, tumour cells were injected under the skin of the mice, were imaged with the new radiopharmaceutical and then removed to compare the images with the occurrence of the protein on the tumour. ‘These preclinical studies are a decisive phase, as how a molecule behaves in the complex biological environment in a living organism cannot be fully simulated in a cell culture,’ says Philipp Backhaus.

Initial testing and studies in patients

The studies showed that “OncoACP3” reliably depicted the mouse tumours, so that its application in humans could be considered. In Germany, in addition to a clinical phase-I study with a small number of subjects, the direct application to patients is also possible within the framework of individual medical questions. This enables university hospitals, under certain conditions, to offer individual patients a new diagnostic or therapeutic option at an early stage. “OncoACP3” was thus applied to selected patients for whom the so-called tumour board, an interdisciplinary team of experts, considered it useful to augment the standard imaging. The novel examination was intended to help better assess individual metastasis. An important basis for this clinical application is intensive and personalised consultation, and the patients must give their consent before imaging takes place. In the case of “OncoACP3”, which has since been used at various locations in over 100 patients, the first clinical applications delivered positive results, which were subsequently evaluated and published in scientific journals. ‘In many cases, we were able to determine with the help of the innovative drug whether and how the cancer had already metastasised, which often allowed us to adjust and optimise the therapy,’ explains Philipp Backhaus.

To transfer the application into clinical practice, clinical studies and ultimately an approval of the drug in accordance with pharmaceutical law are required. Strict regulations apply in such cases. ‘Translational research often gets stuck at this hurdle,’ says Philipp Backhaus. “OncoACP3” has currently completed half of the translational path. A pharmaceutical company has licensed the patent and is already conducting a phase-I study, which primarily aims to demonstrate the drug’s safety.

Further clinical studies

Based on the phase-I study, phase-II and phase-III studies are then indispensable. With them, experts check, among other things, whether the use of a new procedure in a larger patient group would offer advantages over other methods. Should “OncoACP3” prove its potential and overcome the necessary regulatory hurdles, it can be approved, anchored in guidelines and funded in routine care by health insurance companies.

Philipp Backhaus and his team are meanwhile conducting further translational research. ‘In Germany, much has been invested in preclinical research over the years, but at the same time high financial and regulatory hurdles have been erected for the translation into phase studies,’ explains Philipp Backhaus. ‘In recent years, much has improved in this regard, so that we hope to soon initiate significantly more studies ourselves,’ he adds. To this end, he is currently advancing and professionalising the study management at the Department of Nuclear Medicine. This will allow his team to conduct a greater number of early phase studies as an important part of the translational process.

This piece is part of a theme page on translational research, which appeared in the University newspaper wissen|leben, No. 1, 4 February 2026.

A process that can save lives

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