Preparation of contructs for transgenic expression of DPP-IV and FAP Bc. Dalibor Košek Abstract: DASH (Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV Activity and/or Structure Homologues) protein group involves multi-funcional molecules typically bearing enzymatic activity similar to the Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV, EC 3.4.14.5, identical with lymphocyte differentiation antigen CD26). In general, they cleave multiple regulatory as well as structural peptides and proteins, possessing proline residue on the penultimate position from the N-terminus. We focused on two members of this group: canonical DPP-IV and Fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP-α). Both are typically type II plasma membrane proteins with specific tissue distribution. Soluble extrecellular forms have also been identified. Available knowledge suggest important roles of these proteins in oncogenesis, executed by their enzymatic activity but also by non-proteolytic interactions. To study their role in gliomagenesis we designed several experimental models exploiting astrocytoma cell lines with defined DPP-IV or FAP-α phenotype. Enzymatically inactive forms and analogues with different subcellular distribution will also be included. These models will allow to assess the impact of DPP-IV and FAP-α on the glial tumor development and the importance of their...

For any drug candidate to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it must meet strict standards for safety and efficacy. While the field of nuclear medicine is over 100 years old, traditional methods such as external beams or systematic administration have rarely met these standards or have limited application. Ligand-targeted therapy and diagnostics, or “theranostics,” has emerged in the past several decades as an exciting field that offers new possibilities to design drugs that are both safe and effective. When applied to nuclear medicine, the field of ligand-targeted radioactive theranostics is younger still, with many critical lessons being discovered and applied currently. This dissertation outlines the necessary principles of radioactive theranostic drug design, then demonstrates the application of several more recent techniques to improve both the efficacy and safety of radioactive theranostics targeting two high priority oncological targets: fibroblast activation protein alpha and folate receptor.