Wynn A. Volkert

Curators' Professor Emeritus of Radiology, Biochemistry and Chemistry
Director, Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute

Email:	volkertw@missouri.edu
Phone:	(573) 882-2557
Fax:	(573) 882-6129
Office:	330 Hadley Hall
Mailing Address:	Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Institute 330 Hadley Hall University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO 65211
Research Areas:	Radiopharmaceuticals for therapy and imaging; nuclear medicine.

Educational Background

Notable Honors and Service

Research Description

Current efforts involve: (1) development of systems to label biomolecules with ⁹⁹Tc and ¹⁸⁸Re/¹⁶⁶Ho for formulation of new diagnostics or therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, respectively; (2) development of new radiolabeled metabolically stable receptor-avid peptides for specific in vivo targeting of cancers. A relative few number of radioisotopes have physical properties amenable for use in humans. The most prominent radioisotope for diagnostic studies is ^99mTc while ¹⁸⁸Re and ¹⁶⁶Ho are excellent candidates as therapeutic radioisotopes. Major efforts are being made by biochemists and other scientists world-wide to develop biomolecules (including receptor-avid peptides, immunologically derived molecules, etc.) that exhibit high in vitro and in vivo specificity for targeting cancer cells. Developing successful strategies for designing ^99mTc/¹⁸⁸Re/¹⁶⁶Ho labeled specific in vivo targeting agents is an essential component in production of effective radiopharmaceuticals and is an important goal in our laboratories. The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) is the most important facility in the U.S. for production of medically useful radioisotopes. We are collaborating with scientists at MURR as well as other clinical and basic science departments to synthesize new receptor-avid peptides labeled with ¹⁸⁸Re and ¹⁶⁶Ho (obtained from MURR) in chemically useful forms for conjugation to small biomolecules.

Dr. Volkert is PI on an In vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center grant from NCI that supports molecular imaging studies to be performed with micro-PET, micro-MRI, micro-SPECT, micro-CT and in vivo optical imaging instrumentation for imaging of cancers in animal models. The research program involves faculty and students with a spectrum of expertise ranging from basic organic, inorganic and radiochemistry, biochemistry and physiological and pharmacokinetic modeling.

Selected Publications

Smith, C.J., Volkert, W.A., Hoffman, T.J.: Radiolabeled peptide conjugates for targeting of the bombesin receptor subfamily subtypes. Nucl. Med. & Biol. 32:733-740, 2005.

Miller, W.H., Hartmann-Siantar, C., Fisher, D., Descalle, M.A., Daly, T., Lehmann, J., Lewis, M.R., Hoffman, T.J., Smith, C.J., Situ, P.D., Volkert, W.A.: Evaluation of beta absorbed fractions in a mouse model for 90Y, 188Re, 166Ho, 149Pm, 177Lu and 64Cu radioisotopes. Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals. 20:436-449, 2005.

Giblin, M.F., Gali, H., Sieckman, G.L., Hoffman, T.J., Owen, N.K., Forte, L.R., Volkert, W.A.: In Vitro and In Vivo evaluation of Human Escerichia coli heat-ptable peptide analogues incorporating the 111In-DOTA group and distinct linker moieities. Bioconj. Chem. 15:872-880, 2004.

Volkert, Wynn A., Giblin, M.F., Hoffman, T.J.: Radiolabeling and Characterization of Receptor-Avid peptides as Molecular Imaging and Therapeutic Biomolecules for Specific In Vivo Targeting of Human Cancers. Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 91:853-856, 2004.