RSNA Grant Recipients Develop Licensed PET Radiotracer
A low-molecular weight PSMA PET radiotracer, 18F-DCFPyL, was recently licensed by Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The agent will soon undergo clinical trials to determine its effectiveness for detecting metastatic prostate cancer.
The radiotracer was developed by Steve Y. Cho, MD, now at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Cho received the 2008-2010 Bracco Diagnostics/RSNA Research Scholar Grant as a fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Working at Johns Hopkins with his mentor and 1996-1998 RSNA Research Scholar Grant recipient Martin G. Pomper, MD, PhD, Dr. Cho performed a first-in-man clinical translational study of a first-in-class, first-generation low-molecular weight PSMA PET radiotracer, 18F-DCFBC. That study paved the way for the improved second-generation agent.
“The RSNA Research Scholar Award, and other excellent resources through RSNA, have been invaluable to help me grow as an investigator and complete important initial proof of concept PSMA PET studies in prostate cancer,” Dr. Cho said. "PSMA PET imaging will prove to be an important diagnostic tool in our fight against prostate cancer."
