The goal of the NextGen Precision Health & Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Science Seminar is to highlight transdisciplinary precision research taking place in the cancer field, provide opportunities for collaboration among researchers to build their own research efforts and promote clinical/researcher activity across the University of Missouri System and our partners.
For questions about this event, please reach out to Mackenzie Lynch.
"Antibody Imaging in Cancer Biology and Therapy Monitoring"
Speaker: Patricia Ribeiro Pereira, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology, Division of Radiological Sciences, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University-St. Louis
Date: Jan. 16, 2025, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building, Atkins Family Seminar Room
*Zoom option available
Register Here
Description
Positron emission tomography (PET) using radiolabeled antibodies leverages the specificity of antibodies to bind to unique or overexpressed targets on tumor cells, paired with positron-emitting radioisotopes. In this presentation, I will discuss our research demonstrating the potential of antibody-PET to visualize the real-time heterogeneity and dynamics of membrane receptors, particularly during the modulation of cell-surface target availability. Additionally, I will present our studies in optimizing click-chemistry techniques for dual-receptor targeting and N-glycosylation in tumors. The three key topics covered will include:
- Imaging the modulation of cell-surface receptor density to enhance therapeutic efficacy.
- Antibody modification for dual-receptor imaging and targeted cancer therapy.
- Imaging tumor immunity with a focus on N-glycosylation.
About the Speaker
Dr. Patricia Pereira, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis since 2021, where she leads the Disease Imaging and Therapy Lab. She is a Faculty Member in Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences; CCSG member of the Siteman Cancer Center; Board Director for the Center for Molecular Imaging Innovation and Translation. At the Siteman Cancer Center, she is the Program Director for the Leah Menshouse Springer Summer Opportunities Program, and a member of the Emerging Leaders Council.
Dr. Pereira is an imaging biochemist with over 50 publications, including papers, books, book chapters, and reviews, and her research focuses on the use of whole-body molecular imaging to reveal new information about the mechanisms of membrane dynamics of cancer cells and to understand how other genetic factors and proteomic alterations affect tumor response to therapy. She has been involved in developing imaging and therapeutic approaches for different tumor types. She participates in grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, and she is a member of the editorial board for Molecular Imaging and Biology journal.
Dr. Pereira’s research explores multi-modal, multi-receptor, and dual-cell targeted imaging approaches and the regulation of membrane receptors in tumors and their microenvironment. Her work, addressing drug resistance at both basic and clinical levels, is supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Siteman Cancer Center, and philanthropic organizations.