Groundbreaking immuno-PET study in Gliwice: new possibilities for cancer treatment
A study that could revolutionize cancer treatment in Poland has begun in Gliwice. The National Institute of Oncology was the first in the country to use the innovative radiotracer 89Zr-DFO-Pembrolizumab for immuno-PET imaging, enabling non-invasive tracking of the immune system's response to therapy.
The National Institute of Oncology in Gliwice has launched a pioneering INTROSPECTION clinical trial, in which the new radiotracer 89Zr-DFO-Pembrolizumab was used for immuno-PET imaging for the first time in Poland.
The project aims to assess the impact of palliative radiotherapy, including radiotherapy with spatially differentiated doses, alone or in combination with immunotherapy, on the immune system response in patients who have exhausted the options of systemic treatment and radical radiotherapy.
The aim of this project is to investigate how palliative radiotherapy, including spatially differentiated dose radiotherapy, administered alone or in combination with immunotherapy, modifies the immune system response in patients who have exhausted systemic treatment options and radical radiotherapy. We will use immuno-PET to monitor this therapy and early assess its biological effects," explains Dr. Sławomir Blamek, MD, PhD, professor at NIO-PIB, project manager.
Immuno-PET is a technique that combines the molecular specificity of pembrolizumab—a monoclonal antibody used to treat various cancers—with the high sensitivity of PET imaging. The radiotracer 89Zr-DFO-Pembrolizumab binds to the PD-1 receptor, found primarily on tumor-infiltrating T cells, as well as on B cells, NK cells, and macrophages.
Thanks to this, immuno-PET allows for non-invasive and quantitative mapping of PD-1 expression on a whole-body scale, both in the microenvironment of tumor foci and in lymphatic organs (lymph nodes, spleen), and monitoring how the PD-1 signal changes under the influence of treatment , says Prof. Gabriela Kramer-Marek, MD, PhD, head of the Department of Radiopharmacy and PET Laboratory Imaging at the Gliwice branch of the National Institute of Oncology.
The Gliwice research team believes that the INTROSPECTION project will provide new insights into the functioning of the immune system, particularly in the context of combining immunotherapy with various fractionation methods for radiotherapy. The study has the potential to contribute to the development of more effective treatment regimens for cancer patients and the development of personalized imaging and therapy in Poland.
The study is being conducted in collaboration with three units of the National Institute of Oncology in Gliwice: the Third Clinic of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy, the Department of Radiopharmacy and PET Laboratory Imaging, and the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Oncological Endocrinology. The research team includes specialists in radiotherapy, radiopharmacy, and nuclear medicine, as well as medical physicists and radiochemists.
Updated: 19/09/2025 18:30
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