Aktuell

• von Dr. Alexandra Nießen
• 27.07.2026

Radioactivity is often associated with danger. Yet when used in a controlled way, it can help to detect cancer early on and to deliver highly specific treatment. Prof. Dr Thomas Günther is investigating this approach. He has been appointed Professor of Preclinical Radiopharmacy at the Faculty of Medicine at UDE/University Hospital Essen.

[Dr. Alexandra Nießen:] What is your research about?

[Prof. Dr. Thomas Günther:] I am developing new radioactive molecules and aim to optimize them so that they bind specifically to tumors—but not (or only minimally) to healthy tissue. Using positron emission tomography (PET), tumors and metastases can be detected and their progression monitored. For therapy, the diagnostic radioactive element is replaced by a therapeutic one. In this way, the molecule delivers the radiation specifically to the tumor while predominantly sparing healthy tissue.

What personally fascinates you about your work?
I am fascinated by application-oriented research—from bench to bedside—and the prospect of potentially being able to help (cancer) patients. I strongly believe in personalized medicine: here, treatment is tailored as precisely as possible to the individual’s characteristics and their specific disease. Unlike many conventional chemotherapies, it targets malignant tissue much more precisely.

I’m also drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of this field. Here, researchers from chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physics, medicine, and other disciplines collaborate to achieve the ultimate goal.

What topic would you like to work on in the future at Essen University Hospital (UK Essen)?
I would like to establish a strong research program focused on the development of new radiopharmaceuticals and, if possible, bring them into clinical use at UK Essen. I also want to deepen existing collaborations and initiate new ones, both internally and externally.

It is also important to me to build a strong teaching program in the field of preclinical radiopharmacy and theranostics. In doing so, I aim to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists in our field.

What finding from your research has surprised you the most?
I am still impressed by how much of an impact one can have on the diagnosis and treatment of various types of cancer, even in a niche like radiopharmacy/nuclear medicine. The fact that a radiopharmaceutical I developed during my PhD was licensed by a global pharmaceutical company, and is currently being evaluated in clinical trials, still feels like a dream to me.

What misconception about your field would you like to dispel?
That radioactivity is not inherently harmful. If you learn to control it and use it properly, it can actually help to improve patient care. I realize how absurd this sounds to outsiders—especially when people hear that we give patients radioactive drugs and claim that this helps treat their disease. But it is really true, as there is now robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of this approach.

Picture:
Prof. Dr Thomas Günther is developing new radiopharmaceuticals that can be used to specifically detect and treat tumors. His goal is to bring these compounds into clinical use at UK Essen.

Short Biography

Since June 2026
Professor of “Preclinical Radiopharmacy” at the University Hospital Essen

2023–2025
Postdoctoral fellow in the “Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS)” at Stanford University (USA)

2021–2023
Postdoctoral fellow at the Chair of Pharmaceutical Radiochemistry at the Technical University of Munich (TU Munich)

2016-2021
Ph.D. at  TU Munich

Further information:
Prof. Dr. Thomas Günther, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tel. +49 201/723-2073, Sekretariat.Nuklearmedizin@uk-essen.de

Editor: Dr. Alexandra Nießen, alexandra.niessen@uni-due.de