THERANOSTICS – Pushing the Limits

Looking back @ TOPIM 2025 | Edition #16

Thanks to all who participated, shared their research, engaged in discussions & pushed the limits of “Theranostics”!

Read more about the TOPIM concept and upcoming editions here.

The TOPIM Group 2025

TOPIM 2025 kicked off with a welcome lecture by Rodney Hicks from Melbourne providing a stimulating insight into the history of Theranostics “On the Shoulders of Giants”. Followed by an exciting, well-balanced mix of top-notch keynote speakers, talks, and poster presentations selected from abstract submissions, group discussions, and excursions to the magic environment of Tuscany.

Detailed programme (incl. abstracts)!

Programme at a Glance (pdf download)

Overview of Poster Presentations (pdf download)

Poster Award Winner

Grace Mayuni from Tübingen with her presentation on

Enzymatically radiolabeled scFv-fusion protein as a versatile theranostic platform

Group Work Winner

The Winner Theme:
CELL THERAPIES BEYOND CANCER

The Winner Team:

  • Dmytro Kobzev, Aachen
  • Laura Schäfer, Aachen
  • Lennart Bohrmann, Basel
  • Abigail Barber, London
  • Jayden West, Madison
  • Acsah Konuparamban, San Sebastian
  • Claudia Esposito Zapero, San Sebastian
  • Dimitri Stowbur, Tübingen

Mentors: Giannis Zacharakis & Roger Molto Pallares

The Task:

Step 1: Select a hot topic for your project in which molecular imaging can make an impact

Step 2: Develop an innovative approach to address the topic

Step 3: Prepare a winning pitch to “sell” your project to investors or research funding

The Theme

THERANOSTICS – Pushing the Limits

The past decades have witnessed remarkable advancements in theranostics, fundamentally transforming patient care by enabling precise targeting and image-guided treatment in the fields of oncology, neurology or autoimmune diseases. Yet, the journey is far from over. Despite tremendous progress, there is significant potential in all areas of theranostics.

  • (i) improving the therapeutic index in radioligand therapy by applying novel radioisotopes, labeling strategies and optimized biologicals,
  • (ii) optimizing MR, ultrasound and multimodality methods, or
  • (iii) applying next-generation cellular constructs.

The innovative strategies in current research promise to enhance therapeutic target uptake and retention while minimizing non-specific accumulation. As an example, advances in radiobiology are paving the way for intelligent, tailor-made combination treatments, while emerging imaging targets are refining patient selection, response assessment, and prediction.

Achieving such breakthroughs demands close collaboration across specialties, bringing us closer to the ultimate goal: fulfilling the promise of image-guided theranostics as the cornerstone of precision medicine.

The Topics

  • AI Tailored Theranostics
  • Cell Delivery Systems
  • Detecting-Acting Systems
  • Image-Guided Surgery
  • Nanorobots
  • New Radioisotopes
  • Radiotheranostics
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Theranostics Implants incl. Bioelectronics
  • Trigger Responsive Systems

Speakers

Diving into the topic – Introductory Lectures
  • Rodney Hicks, Melbourne – Where it started: History of (Radio) Theranostics
  • Margret Schottelius, Lausanne – Where we are: Overview of Tracer Development
  • Wolfgang Weber, Munich – Where we are: Clinical Applications
  • Twan Lammers, Aachen – Where we go: Expansion of the Field
A deeper insight

Speakers and topics

  • Metin Sitti, Istanbul – Nanorobots
  • Jeff Bulte, Baltimore – Theranostic Implants
  • Paula Foster, London/CA & Jolanda de Vries, Nijmegen – Cell Delivery Systems
  • Carl Figdor – Synthetic Biology
  • Inge Herrmann, Zurich – Detecting-Acting Systems
  • Melita Irving, Lausanne – Trigger Responsive Systems
  • Lalith Kumar Shiyam Sundar, Munich – AI Tailored Theranostics

The Committee

  • Michal Neeman – Rehovot, Israel (Chair)
  • Jolanda de Vries – Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • Fabian Kiessling – Aachen, Germany
  • Bernd Pichler – Tübingen, Germany
  • Margret Schottelius – Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Nicola Di Stefano – Siena, Italy (Advisory Member)

Location

In cooperation with the University of Siena