Delhi’s Hansraj College, University of Chicago explore collaboration in radiopharmaceutical research

Hansraj College and the University of Chicago are exploring a research partnership in radiopharmaceutical chemistry to develop next-generation PET tracers for molecular imaging and biomedical research.

The proposed collaboration brings together the Department of Chemistry and the HG Khorana Centre for Chemical Biology at Hansraj College, led by Prof Brijesh Rathi, and researchers working in radiopharmaceutical research at the University of Chicago.

Prof Satish Chitneni, research faculty and Faculty Director of the Cyclotron Facility at the University of Chicago, visited Hansraj College to discuss potential areas for joint research.

The proposed research will focus on developing PET tracers capable of mapping biochemical pathways. These tracers have applications in molecular imaging and could support the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, including cancer.

Radiopharmaceutical chemistry focuses on creating molecules that can be combined with radioactive isotopes and used as drug-like agents for diagnosing and treating diseases. The field draws on chemistry, nuclear medicine, pharmacology, biochemistry and medical physics.

During his visit, Chitneni met with students and faculty and attended student research presentations at Hansraj College. He said some of the work presented involved areas of chemistry that were new to him and highlighted the role of innovative chemistry in advancing radiopharmaceutical development.

Chitneni said radiopharmaceutical research requires methods that can rapidly incorporate radioactive isotopes into molecules because many applications involve short time windows.

He described the field as an emerging specialization within therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, with pharmaceutical companies increasingly investing in radiopharmaceuticals, particularly for cancer treatment.

He also pointed to the connection between therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals and medical imaging. Imaging can help determine which patients are appropriate candidates for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, making both diagnostic and therapeutic applications important areas of research.

The University of Chicago researcher described radiopharmaceutical chemistry as an interdisciplinary field involving chemists, pharmacists, pharmacologists, biochemists, medical physicists and nuclear medicine physicians. He encouraged students interested in the subject to explore it as an emerging research and career area.

“I am very pleased by the research going on here,” Chitneni said, adding that he looked forward to continuing his affiliation and collaboration with the institution and returning in the future.

The proposed collaboration was facilitated by Prof Anil Kumar Mishra of IIT Roorkee, whose efforts helped establish a connection between the two research teams.

The discussions are expected to support further academic and research cooperation between Hansraj College and the University of Chicago in radiopharmaceutical chemistry and related fields.