Main research areas in the field of nuclear medicine include the development, evaluation and optimization of oncologic tracers, e.g. for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate carcinoma or leukemias. PSMA-specific peptides are among the main areas of research and are successfully analyzed using established methods.

The diagnosis and analysis of neurodegenerative diseases using novel tau-specific peptides is also the focus of research in the Department of Nuclear Medicine. The accumulation and specificity are mainly studied in vitro and in tissue sections.

In the field of preclinical research, state-of-the-art methods are used in the Department of Nuclear Medicine to successfully work on complex interdisciplinary projects. A broad spectrum of cell lines and great expertise in cultivation and maintenance form the basis for in vitro studies. These include, for example, specific binding studies or time-dependent analyses of the uptake of radiolabeled peptides, antibodies and other compounds. Modern technology, e.g. a cutting-edge chromatography system for protein purification or a flow cytometer for cell studies with fluorescent samples are available in the department.

A digital autoradiography system with a resolution of up to 50 µm is available for autoradiographic analyses, e.g. in histological specimens, protein gels or for the verification of radiolabeling. In addition to the excellent resolution of this imaging technique, quantifiability is also an important advantage.

In the Department of Nuclear Medicine there is a high interest in alternative methods to animal experiments. A technique that is already in use and will be further established are in ovo studies on the HET-CAM (Hen's egg test - chorioallantoic membrane) model. Therefor tumor xenografts are established on the membrane in the hen's egg and biodistribution as well as tumor accumulation studies can be performed to analyze the specificity of substances independently of animal experiments.