Breaking the bonds: Nano-enabled radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and therapy

Fernando Herranz, Instituto de Química Médica, CSIC, Spain

Monday 30 June 2025, 12.00 PM*

ICMAB - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles and ONLINE (Register here)

*Coffee and cookies by 11:45 AM

Abstract

Radiopharmaceuticals are revolutionizing cancer diagnosis and therapy by enabling targeted delivery of radioactive isotopes. However, conventional chelator-based chemistry used to bind radionuclides to biomolecules presents significant limitations, including instability, off-target effects, and restricted versatility.

Nanomaterials offer a transformative alternative, providing robust platforms for radiolabeling without traditional chelators. Their tunable properties enable enhanced targeting, controlled release, and multimodal imaging capabilities. This talk explores how nanotechnology is reshaping the landscape of nuclear medicine, overcoming existing barriers, and unlocking new possibilities for precision oncology—from improved imaging agents to next-generation theranostics.

Short bio

Chemist with a PhD in bio-organic chemistry (UNED, 2006), specializing in supramolecular chemistry and molecular recognition. He spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London in Dr. Ramón Vilar’s group, working on supramolecular chemistry and molecular imaging.
Back to Spain, he established the Nanomedicine and Radiochemistry Lab within the Advanced Imaging Unit at the Spanish Cardiovascular Research Centre (CNIC).
His research focuses on the intersection of chemistry and nanotechnology for imaging and therapeutic applications, ranging from novel MRI probes to the combined use of radionuclides and nanomaterials. He has published around 70 articles and led 18 research projects in these areas.
In 2019, in collaboration with Dr. Puerto Morales, he established the CSIC Nanomedicine Hub, which brings together more than 230 researchers working on the biomedical applications of nanomaterials in the institution.
In 2018, he secured a tenured position at the Instituto de Química Médica of the Spanish Research Council (IQM-CSIC), and since 2019, he has served as the deputy director of IQM-CSIC.

Hosted by Juan Pellico, from the NN group (Materials for Health Research Line)

>> If you want to meet the speaker, please contact the host, Juan Pellico, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..