Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals (FWPN)

Working Fields

• The main research focus of the Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals is the development and evaluation of radiolabelled ligands (radiotracers) in order to investigate brain functions in living organism. The application of the radiotracers in the brain provides images of transport, metabolic and neurotransmission processes on the molecular level. The methods used on humans to acquire such information is positron emission tomography (PET), the most sensitive and specific method available at present. Through integration of chemical/radiochemical, pharmaceutical/radiopharmaceutical, biochemical and radiopharmacological basic research, computational chemistry and with the aid of nuclear medicine diagnostic, a new approach in neuroscience will be made available. The foremost importance of this approach would be the monitoring of therapy for brain diseases.
• For more than a decade, a close cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Leipzig (in particular the Departments of Nuclear Medicine and Neurology and the Paul-Flechsig Institute of Brain Research), in the field of radiotracer development for neuroimaging of brain diseases  exists. These research projects are integrated in the Top Level Research Area "Brain-Cognition-Language" at the University of Leipzig.

Research Topics

• Cholinergic system (α7 - receptor)

• Cholinergic system (α4β2 - receptor)

• Cholinerges system (vesicular transporter)

• Endocannabinoid system (CB₂ receptor)

• GABAergic system (finished)

• Serotonin transporter (finished)

• Second messenger systems (phosphodiesterase 10)

• Sigma₁ - receptor imaging