Theranostic and Contrast Agent Development Lab

The UW Theranostic and Contrast Agent Development Lab is involved in the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel targeted molecular imaging agents for computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and nuclear medicine including PET and SPECT as well as therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Our design strategy is based on a biochemical approach, whereby naturally occurring compounds known to be stored and or metabolized in the organ or tissue of interest serve as carriers for the radiologic moiety.

Our pan-cancer phospholipid tumor delivery platform has afforded a variety of new imaging and therapy agents active in multiple modalities including MRI (Gd-NM600), nuclear medicine (NM404/600), visible and near infrared optical, and a new tumor selective CT contrast agent under development. Radioiodinated (I-124/131) NM404 has been examined in over 6 clinical trials in multiple tumor types and radiometal labeled NM600 is expected to begin a clinical phase 1 trial in in advanced cancer patients in Q2, 2025. Our current NIH P01 grant was the first ever, large P01 grant funded by the NCI in the field of theranostics. Based on early findings in our collaborative laboratories, the premise of this work is to define the role of low dose targeted radionuclide therapies to stimulate the immune system against cancer cells and to induce immune memory to prevent recurrence of cancers once they are treated.

We have also discovered that low-dose TRT can prime the tumor immune microenvironment and significantly expand the scope and efficacy of current immunotherapies including checkpoint inhibitors. Our technologies are covered by over 50 US and international patents and licensed to two theranostic companies founded by Dr. Weichert.

The lab is unique in that we perform all synthesis, analysis, formulation, and pharmacokinetic evaluation as well as multimodality imaging totally within our group. Moreover, we work very closely with clinical and preclinical collaborators in immunology, radiobiology, and dosimetry here at UW. We are fortunate to have an extremely strong and cooperative association with cancer biologists on campus who have developed a variety of relevant cancer models. Dr. Weichert also founded the UWCCC Small Animal Imaging and Radiotherapy facility which is one of the strongest such facilities in the US. This facility allows us to seamlessly translate agents to clinical status.