Publications by authors named "Francesco Lechi"
PET imaging of platelet derived growth factor receptor β in lung fibrosis.
EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem
July 2025
Background: Lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with limited treatment options. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) signaling pathway is a key driver of fibrogenesis in different organs. In the lungs, pericytes have a high PDGFRβ expression, and their role as immune regulators and progenitors of myofibroblasts is increasingly recognized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOptimized method for fluorine-18 radiolabeling of Affibody molecules using RESCA.
EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on enhancing the labeling of Affibody molecules with Al[F]F for PET imaging, utilizing the Restrained Complexing Agent (RESCA) to facilitate the process under mild conditions.
- The researchers optimized the labeling method, determining that the best conditions involved using fluorine-18, AlCl, and specific temperatures and times for effective reaction and purification.
- The results indicated that the newly established method is efficient, reproducible, and maintains the biological functionality of the labeled Affibody molecules, with potential applications in peptide-based imaging agents.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on a new method to non-invasively assess fibrogenic activity, which could enhance the treatment of fibrotic diseases and aid in developing anti-fibrotic medications.
- Researchers explored a specific Affibody molecule (Z09591) labeled using the RESCA method to create a tracer for detecting fibrogenic cells without invasive procedures.
- In experiments with tumor-bearing mice, the resulting radiotracer showed high selectivity for a key receptor associated with fibrosis, demonstrating its potential for accurate monitoring of liver fibrogenesis and implications for drug development.
Background: Beta-cell replacement methods such as transplantation of isolated donor islets have been proposed as a curative treatment of type 1 diabetes, but widespread application is challenging due to shortages of donor tissue and the need for continuous immunosuppressive treatments. Stem-cell-derived islets have been suggested as an alternative source of beta cells, but face transplantation protocols optimization difficulties, mainly due to a lack of available methods and markers to directly monitor grafts survival, as well as their localization and function. Molecular imaging techniques and particularly positron emission tomography has been suggested as a tool for monitoring the fate of islets after clinical transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF[F]MK-7246 for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Beta-Cell Surface Marker GPR44.
Pharmaceutics
February 2023
The progressive loss of beta-cell mass is a hallmark of diabetes and has been suggested as a complementary approach to studying the progression of diabetes in contrast to the beta-cell function. Non-invasive nuclear medicinal imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography using radiation emitting tracers have thus been suggested as more viable methodologies to visualize and quantify the beta-cell mass with sufficient sensitivity. The transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor GPR44 has been identified as a biomarker for monitoring beta-cell mass.
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