Preclinical Research on Molecular Imaging and Targeted Radionuclide Therapy (TRT) for Cancer
Our focus is on developing new multifunctional radionuclide agents for cancer imaging and therapy. Many attempts to chracterize cancer have involved identifying specific molecules expressed preferentially in cancer, but not in normal organs and tissues. Radiolabeled molecular-targeting agents, efficiently delivering radionuclides enable cancer-specific imaging and therapy. To develop a new molecular imaging agent, candidate probes (such as antibodies, peptides, and small molecules) are labeled with radionuclides that emit gamma-rays or positrons to enable imaging, and this is used to evaluate their biodistribution in tumor mouse models. In the case of targeted radionuclide therapy, these probes are labeled with cytotoxic radionuclides (alpha- and beta-ray emitters) and evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy. We also research to deeply understand cancer properties by visualizing them combined with PET and MRI.
Member
Tsuji Atsushi Group Leader
- Sudo Hitomi Principal Researcher
- Sumiyoshi Akira Principal Researcher
- Zhao-Hui Jin Senior Researcher
- Kuribayashi Winnaung Senior Researcher
- Sugyo Aya Senior Technical Staff
- Ohara Maki Researcher
- Nakagawa Kiyoshi Researcher
- Pham Cuong Researcher
- Iiyama Megumi Technical Staff
- Kajiwara Chie Technical Staff
Concurrent member
- Obata Honoka Senior Researcher
Selected Publications
- Sudo H., Tsuji AB., Sugyo A., Kaneko MK., Kato Y., Higashi T.:Intrathoracic 90Y-NZ-16 therapy improves efficacy and reduces toxicity in pleural mesothelioma mice.Nucl Med Commun, 47,388-400, (2026)
- Jin Z-H.,Degardin M., Furukawa T., Uehara T., Tsuji AB., Suzuki H., Wakizaka H., Sugyo A., Aung W., Suzuki H., Nagatsu K., Zhang M-R., Dumy P., Boturyn D., and Higashi T.：Evaluation of the Gly-Phe-Lys Linker to Reduce the Renal Radioactivity of a [64Cu]Cu-Labeled Multimeric cRGD Peptide.ACS Omega,10,4102-4120,(2025)
- Aung W., Tsuji AB., Jin ZH., Sugyo A., Kajiwara C., Higashi T.:Comparative Evaluation of Wavelength-Dependent Photodynamic Therapy Efficacy Using Representative Red and Near-Infrared Photosensitizers in a Single Tumor Model.Technol Cancer Res Treat,24,15330338251390292,(2025)
- Sawada K., Ryoke R., Nonaka H., Kawashima R., Sumiyoshi A.:Altered Cerebral Cortical Gyrification in Ferrets with Neonatal Exposure to the Bacterial Endotoxin, Lipopolysaccharide. eNeuro,12, ENEURO.0135-25.2025,(2025)
- Hiramoto T.,Sumiyoshi A.,Kato R.,Yamauchi T.,Takano T.,Kang G.,Esparza M.,Matsumura B.,Stevens Lj.,Hiroi Yj.,Tanifuji T.,Ryoke R.,Nonaka H.,Machida A.,Nomoto K.,Mogi K.,Kikusui T.,Kawashima R.,Hiroi N.：Highly demarcated structural alterations in the brain and impaired social incentive learning in Tbx1 heterozygous mice.Molecular Psychiatry,30,1876–1886,(2024)
- Fujiwara K.,Tsuji AB.,Sudo H.,Sugyo A.,Hamakubo T.,Higashi T.:The tyrosine kinase inhibitor nintedanib enhances the efficacy of 90Y-labeled B5209B radioimmunotherapy targeting Robo1 without increased toxicity in small-cell lung cancer xenograft mice.Nucl Med Commun,45,68–76,(2024)
- Sudo H.,Tsuji AB.,Sugyo A.,Harada Y.,Nagayama S.,Katagiri T.,Nakamura Y.,Higashi T.:Head-to-head comparison of three chelates reveals Dotaga promising for 225Ac labeling of anti‐Fzd10 antibody Otsa101. Cancer Sci,114,4677–90,(2023)
- Sugyo A.,Tsuji AB.,Sudo H.,Sugiura Y.,Koizumi M.,Higashi T.:Wnt1 induces osteoblastic changes in a well-established osteolytic skeletal metastatic model derived from breast cancer.Cancer Reports.6,e1909,(2023)
- Aung W.,Tsuji AB.,Rikiyama K.,Nishikido F.,Obara S.,Higashi T.:Imaging assessment of photosensitizer emission induced by radionuclide-derived Cherenkov radiation using charge-coupled device optical imaging and long-pass filters.World J Radiol,15,315–23(2023)
- Sumiyoshi A.,Shibata S.,Lazarova D.,Zhelev Z.,Aoki I.,Bakalova R.:Tolerable treatment of glioblastoma with redox-cycling‘mitocans’: a comparative study in vivo.Redox Report,28,2220531,(2023)