Neil Vasdev

Last updated
Neil Vasdev
ACSF, FRSC, FSNMMI
Born
Canada
Alma mater McMaster University
Known forPET radiopharmaceuticals
Scientific career
Fields Radiochemistry, nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
Institutions Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; University of Toronto; Harvard Medical School; Massachusetts General Hospital; Northeastern University.

Neil Vasdev is a Canadian and American radiochemist and expert in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, particularly in the application of PET. Radiotracers developed by the Vasdev Lab are in preclinical use worldwide, and many have been translated for first-in-human neuroimaging studies. [1] He is the director and chief radiochemist of the Brain Health Imaging Centre and director of the Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). He is the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Radiochemistry and Nuclear Medicine, the endowed Azrieli Chair in Brain and Behaviour and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. [2] Vasdev has been featured on Global News, [3] CTV, [4] CNN, [5] New York Times, [6] Toronto Star [7] and the Globe and Mail for his innovative research program.

Contents

Vasdev began his independent faculty career at CAMH/University of Toronto in 2004. From 2011–2017 he served as the director of radiochemistry and an associate centre director at the Massachusetts General Hospital and served as an associate professor in the department of radiology at Harvard Medical School from 2012–2022. He was recruited back to CAMH and the University of Toronto in November 2017.

Life and education

Vasdev grew up in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He attended Oakville Trafalgar High School [8] and graduated from McMaster University in 1998 with double bachelor degrees, summa cum laude, Hon. BSc in chemistry and B.A. in psychology. He concurrently worked as chemist at Astra Pharma and Glaxo-Wellcome. He then earned his Doctorate of Chemistry, supported by NSERC, at McMaster University in 2003, under the supervision of Professors Raman Chirakal and Gary J. Schrobilgen. He continued training with a NSERC postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Functional Imaging at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, mentored by Henry F. VanBrocklin. [9]

Honours and awards

Scholarly and academic awards of Vasdev's career include:

Research statements

Iodonium ylide precursors for 18F-labeling

Current methods to radiofluorinate non-activated aromatic rings are generally limited to esoteric electrophilic [18F]F2 reactions, transition-metal mediated, or iodonium salt based methods. The Vasdev Lab has a long-established history of labeling non-activated aromatics and recently discovered a simple synthetic strategy for incorporating [18F]fluoride into non-activated aromatic molecules using spirocyclic iodoium ylide based precursors. Based on their paper in Nature Communications, a patent has been licensed by the pharmaceutical industry to employ this method for the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals in humans. Hence, the iodonium ylide technology for fluorination represents a major advance for PET imaging. [14]

11C-fixation strategies

There is a need for new methods of 11C radiosynthesis because current methods are largely limited to methylation. The Vasdev lab has co-developed new techniques of 11CO2 fixation that are suitable for human use with diverse precursors synthesized by labeling at the carbonyl group (rather than the common methyl group). This methodology can label 11C-carbamates for imaging the enzyme FAAH ([11C]CURB) or 11C-oxazolidinones for imaging MAO-B (11C-SL25.1188), both of which they have translated for human use. They have also synthesized 11C-ureas and a 11C-carboxylic acid (11C-Bexarotene). [15]

New PET radiopharmaceuticals for Alzheimer's disease and brain injuries

Vasdev has introduced new radiochemical methods and radiopharmaceuticals for imaging the living human brain. [16] The Vasdev Lab is exploring new ways to image neuroinflammation and tau protein. [17] He is the co-inventor of the method patent for the first and only FDA-approved tau-PET radiopharmaceutical Tauvid that has been employed worldwide to image patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias, as well as patients with symptomatic traumatic brain injuries, including professional athletes and military veterans. The Vasdev Lab is partnering with Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada and the Canadian Military to work on the Project Enlist to study whether some military training exercises could be negatively impacting long-term brain health. [3] [18] [4] “We are getting very close to advancing new radio tracers in humans to image the tau that is more prevalent in C.T.E.”. [6]

Selected publications

Vasdev has over 10 families of patents and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positron emission tomography</span> Medical imaging technique

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that uses radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in metabolic processes, and in other physiological activities including blood flow, regional chemical composition, and absorption. Different tracers are used for various imaging purposes, depending on the target process within the body.

Fluorodeoxyglucose (<sup>18</sup>F) Chemical compound

[18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (INN), or fluorodeoxyglucose F 18, also commonly called fluorodeoxyglucose and abbreviated [18F]FDG, 2-[18F]FDG or FDG, is a radiopharmaceutical, specifically a radiotracer, used in the medical imaging modality positron emission tomography (PET). Chemically, it is 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose, a glucose analog, with the positron-emitting radionuclide fluorine-18 substituted for the normal hydroxyl group at the C-2 position in the glucose molecule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fluoroiodomethane</span> Chemical compound

Fluoroiodomethane is the halomethane with the formula FCH2I. Also classified as a fluoroiodocarbon (FIC), it is a colorless liquid. It is a reagent for the introduction of the fluoromethyl (FCH2) group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18F-EF5</span> Chemical compound

EF5 is a nitroimidazole derivative used in oncology research. Due to its similarity in chemical structure to etanidazole, EF5 binds in cells displaying hypoxia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altanserin</span> Chemical compound

Altanserin is a compound that binds to the 5-HT2A receptor. Labeled with the isotope fluorine-18 it is used as a radioligand in positron emission tomography (PET) studies of the brain, i.e., studies of the 5-HT2A neuroreceptors. Besides human neuroimaging studies altanserin has also been used in the study of rats.

Jeffrey H. Meyer is a scientist and professor working with mood and anxiety disorders using neuroimaging at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is currently the head of the Neurochemical Imaging Program in Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the Brain Health Imaging Centre at the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and is working as a Senior Scientist in the General and Health Systems Psychiatry Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He has also been awarded with the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Neurochemistry of Major Depression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brain positron emission tomography</span> Form of positron emission tomography

Brain positron emission tomography is a form of positron emission tomography (PET) that is used to measure brain metabolism and the distribution of exogenous radiolabeled chemical agents throughout the brain. PET measures emissions from radioactively labeled metabolically active chemicals that have been injected into the bloodstream. The emission data from brain PET are computer-processed to produce multi-dimensional images of the distribution of the chemicals throughout the brain.

Mefway (<sup>18</sup>F) Chemical compound

Mefway is a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor antagonist used in medical research, usually in the form of mefway (18F) as a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DPA-714</span> Chemical compound

DPA-714 or N,N-diethyl-2-[4-(2-fluoroethoxy)phenyl]-5,7-dimethylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-3-acetamide is a selective ligand for the translocator protein (TSPO) currently under evaluation for several clinical applications. For this reason, a practical, multigram synthetic route for its preparation has been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nifene</span> Chemical compound

Nifene is a high affinity, selective nicotinic α4β2* receptor partial agonist used in medical research for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, usually in the form of nifene (18F) as a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desmethoxyfallypride</span> Chemical compound

Desmethoxyfallypride is a moderate affinity dopamine D2 receptor/D3 receptor antagonist used in medical research, usually in the form of the radiopharmaceutical [F-18]-desmethoxyfallypride (DMFP(18F)) which has been used in human studies as a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FMISO</span> Chemical compound

18F-FMISO or fluoromisonidazole is a radiopharmaceutical used for PET imaging of hypoxia. It consists of a 2-nitroimidazole molecule labelled with the positron-emitter fluorine-18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dihydrotetrabenazine</span> Chemical compound

Dihydrotetrabenazine or DTBZ is an organic compound with the chemical formula C19H29NO3. It is a close analog of tetrabenazine. DTBZ and its derivatives, when labeled with positron emitting isotopes such as carbon-11 and fluorine-18, are used as PET radioligands for examining VMAT2.

Fluoroethyl-<small>L</small>-tyrosine (<sup>18</sup>F) Chemical compound

Fluoroethyl-l-tyrosine (18F) commonly known as [18F]FET, is a radiopharmaceutical tracer used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This synthetic amino acid, labeled with the radioactive isotope fluorine-18, is a valuable radiopharmaceutical tracer for used in neuro-oncology for diagnosing, planning treatment, and following up on brain tumors such as gliomas. The tracer's ability to provide detailed metabolic imaging of tumors makes it an essential tool in the clinical management of brain cancer patients. Continued advancements in PET imaging technology and the development of more efficient synthesis methods are expected to further enhance the clinical utility of [18F]FET.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Hooker</span> American chemist

Jacob M. Hooker is an American chemist and expert in molecular imaging, particularly in the development and application of simultaneous MRI and PET. He is a Professor of Radiology specializing in Autism Research and holds the title of Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport MGH Research Scholar at Massachusetts General Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter J. H. Scott</span> American radiochemist

Peter J. H. Scott FRSC CChem is a British and American chemist and radiochemist who is a professor of radiology, professor of pharmacology and professor of medicinal chemistry, as well as a core member of the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan in the United States. He is Chief of Nuclear Medicine and director of the University of Michigan Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center, and runs a research group developing new radiochemistry methodology and novel PET radiotracers.

Jason S. Lewis is a British radiochemist whose work relates to oncologic therapy and diagnosis. His research focus is a molecular imaging-based program focused on radiopharmaceutical development as well as the study of multimodality small- and biomolecule-based agents and their clinical translation. He has worked on the development of small molecules as well as radiolabeled peptides and antibodies probing the overexpression of receptors and antigens on tumors.

Flortaucipir (<sup>18</sup>F) Chemical compound

Flortaucipir (18F), sold under the brand name Tauvid, is a radioactive diagnostic agent indicated for use with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to image the brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie C. Price</span> American physicist and professor of radiology

Julie C. Price is an American medical physicist and professor of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Harvard Medical School (HMS), as well as the director of PET Pharmacokinetic Modeling at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center at MGH. Price is a leader in the study and application of quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) methods. Prior to this, Price worked with Pittsburgh colleagues to lead the first fully quantitative pharmacokinetic evaluations of 11C-labeled Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB), one of the most widely used PET ligands for imaging amyloid beta plaques. As a principal investigator at MGH, Price continues work to validate novel PET methods for imaging biological markers of health and disease in studies of aging and neurodegeneration, including studies of glucose metabolism, protein expression, neurotransmitter system function, and tau and amyloid beta plaque burden.

References

  1. 1 2 "Neil Vasdev". Canada Research Chairs. Government of Canada. 29 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Dr. Neil Vasdev". CAMH.
  3. 1 2 "Veterans and mental illness — How Canadian research could unlock the mysteries of the brain - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  4. 1 2 Petracek, Heidi (Jan 13, 2023). "Researchers investigating head trauma in the Canadian military want veterans to 'pledge their brain'". CTV News. Retrieved Jan 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ Kounang, Nadia (2019-04-10). "A study of NFL players' brains might help diagnose CTE in the living". CNN. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  6. 1 2 Belson, Ken (November 17, 2022). "A Test for C.T.E. in the Living May Be Closer Than Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ "'The human brain is the final frontier.' $15M gift from Garron family a boost for CAMH's brain imaging centre". thestar.com. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Oakville native recruited to head new mental health research centre". InsideHalton.com. November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Neil Vasdev". psychiatry.utoronto.ca.
  10. ↑ "Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Announces 2021 Fellows – SNMMI". www.snmmi.org.
  11. ↑ "American Chemical Society names ACS Fellows for 2020". American Chemical Society.
  12. ↑ Hansraj, Benita (6 November 2017). "CAMH builds on radioimaging legacy with creation of the Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry".
  13. ↑ "KPE experts among U of T researchers sharing $9 million in new funding | UofT – Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education". kpe.utoronto.ca.
  14. ↑ Stephenson, Nickeisha A.; Holland, Jason P.; Kassenbrock, Alina; Yokell, Daniel L.; Livni, Eli; Liang, Steven H.; Vasdev, Neil (1 March 2015). "Iodonium Ylide–Mediated Radiofluorination of 18F-FPEB and Validation for Human Use". Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 56 (3): 489–492. doi:10.2967/jnumed.114.151332. PMC   4878451 . PMID   25655630 – via jnm.snmjournals.org.
  15. ↑ Rotstein, Benjamin H.; Liang, Steven H.; Holland, Jason P.; Collier, Thomas Lee; Hooker, Jacob M.; Wilson, Alan A.; Vasdev, Neil (28 May 2013). "11CO2 fixation: a renaissance in PET radiochemistry". Chemical Communications. 49 (50): 5621–5629. doi:10.1039/C3CC42236D. PMC   5604310 . PMID   23673726.
  16. ↑ Varlow, Cassis; Vasdev, Neil (2022-09-01). "Evaluation of Tau Radiotracers in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy". Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 64 (3): 460–465. doi:10.2967/jnumed.122.264404. ISSN   0161-5505. PMC   10071800 . PMID   36109185. S2CID   252309243.
  17. ↑ Narayanaswami, Vidya; Dahl, Kenneth; Bernard-Gauthier, Vadim; Josephson, Lee; Cumming, Paul; Vasdev, Neil (1 January 2018). "Emerging PET Radiotracers and Targets for Imaging of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Outlook Beyond TSPO". Molecular Imaging. 17: 153601211879231. doi:10.1177/1536012118792317. PMC   6134492 . PMID   30203712.
  18. ↑ "Project Enlist researching military veterans' brains to study CTE | Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
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