Contact
Prof. Dr. Anja Braune
Head Positron Emission Tomography
a.braune
hzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2621
Marita Kersten
Secretariat / Administration
Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research
m.kerstenhzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3223
Department of Positron Emission Tomography
The department of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) focuses on research, development and improvement of procedures in the field of medical imaging. With PET, non-invasive quantitative examinations of physiological and biochemical processes can be carried out on living organisms. Radioactively labeled drugs (radiopharmaceuticals) are used for this purpose. These so-called radiotracers consist of a non-radiating biologically active carrier substance which is coupled to a radioactive component, the so-called radionuclide. Due to the differing metabolic activity of organs and various tissue types, the radiopharmaceutical accumulates to varying degrees in different areas of the patient's body. Due to its radioactive properties, the radionuclide decays it emits positrons, the antiparticles of electrons. PET imaging thus allows the detection of the temporal and spatial distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in vivo and can be used to assess important quantitative information about the metabolic activity of various organs as well as different tissue types. Tumor tissue, for example, typically has a higher metabolic glucose rate compared to normal tissue, which is why [18F]-FDG-PET imaging is widely used in nuclear medicine to differentiate between tumor and healthy tissue. In addition to the excellent possibilities of diagnosing oncological and neurological diseases, PET can be used to determine tumor growth and help to monitor progression as well as outcome of various tumor therapies. Furthermore, PET is frequently used in preclinical small animal imaging for research and development of new radiopharmaceuticals and for a better assessment of the response of new therapeutic approaches in the field of cancer research.
In our department, scientists from various disciplines (physics, computer science, engineering) conduct research in the field of quantitative PET for oncological diseases, which is of crucial importance in the context of personalized medicine. One important research focus is on improving and simplifying quantitative PET imaging and its evaluation with the final goal of an early translation of newly developed procedures and methods into clinical application. One of our aims is to optimize imaging to improve image quality and quantification so that, for example, smaller lesions can be detected earlier. This contributes to earlier diagnosis and more accurate staging of cancer. The development of novel AI algorithms for improved and simplified PET image processing and analyses is a strong research topic in our department. In all our research, we work closely together with our medical cooperation partners, e.g. the Dresden University Hospital. The intensive exchange with clinicians and the close collaboration with various clinical partners allows us to quickly transfer our research into clinical application.
