Satish Chitneni, PhD (Radiology) has received NIH/NCI R21 Grant titled “Fluorine-18 Labeled MDM2 Antagonists for PET Imaging.” This project aims to develop radiolabeled (fluorine-18) imaging agents for a protein called murine double minute 2 (MDM2). MDM2 is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, including breast cancers and soft tissue sarcomas, and functions as an oncoprotein by inhibiting the tumor suppressor protein p53. By creating MDM2 imaging agents, this project will help in the diagnosis of MDM2 overexpressing tumors noninvasively using positron emission tomography (PET) and potentially treat those with MDM2 targeted therapies, currently in the clinical development. Co-investigators on the grant include Dr. Michael Zalutsky (Radiology) and Dr. David Kirsch (Radiation Oncology).
