With the support of the Dieter Morszeck Foundation, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) was able to establish a new research group including an endowed professorship for “Translational Molecular Imaging” and set up a state-of-the-art translational research laboratory for imaging and image-guided therapy, which is divided into a preclinical trial unit and a clinical research area.

One of the key challenges in cancer research is the development of precise non-invasive biological imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other methods to accurately capture biologically relevant information of tumor tissue. The aim is to expand and improve image-guided precision therapy in order to develop individually tailored treatment strategies.

The “Translational Molecular Imaging” endowed professorship researches in particular the development of innovative methods such as hyperpolarized contrast agents for diagnostic MRI and analytical spectroscopy, while new therapies are developed and tested in the “Preclinical Trial Unit” (PTU). In the next phase, these can be transferred to the clinical area, which is located in the immediate vicinity. Using the latest radiotherapy techniques and strategies, patients in clinical trials there benefit directly from the latest innovations in cancer research.