University of California San Francisco
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Henry F. VanBrocklin, PhD

Henry F. VanBrocklin, PhD

Professor, Department of Radiology, and Director of Radiopharmaceutical Research, UCSF

Cancer Center Program Memberships

Experimental Therapeutics
HFVanBrocklin@lbl.gov

Phone: (510) 486-4083 (voice)

Fax: (510) 486-4768

Lawrence Berkeley Nat'l Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 55-121, Berkeley, CA 94720

UCSF Profiles

Research Summary

I have over 25 years’ experience with the preparation and application of radiopharmaceuticals. I have developed several imaging agents targeting cell surface proteins (receptors, enzymes and transporters) including receptor-based imaging agents for hormone receptors, growth factor receptors, neuroreceptors, and prostate-specific membrane antigen. I have developed imaging agents for cardiac blood flow and metabolism. These imaging agents have included a broad range of molecular motifs from small molecules, antibodies, antibody fragments (e.g., Fabs, scFv, and diabodies), and aptamers, to proteins and peptides. These molecules have been labeled with a variety of isotopes for PET and SPECT imaging. As part of the development of these imaging agents, I have been engaged in the evaluation and validation of the tracer mechanism of localization and retention at the target site. I have prepared several in vitro and in vivo model systems and interpreted the data collected from these systems to determine the utility of the probes. I have successfully translated many of these tracers into humans. I have helped to write and secure several INDs for first-in-human tracer studies.
Over the last 10 years, I have been working on the development of PSMA targeting prostate cancer imaging agents in collaboration with Dr. Clifford Berkman at Washington State University. I am currently PI on a DoD PCRP-funded proposal to prepare these agents for human imaging studies. I am also UCSF PI on an NIH SBIR funded to perform the first-in-man PET/MRI imaging studies. I am currently also evaluating a new agent to measure T cell activation, 18F-FAraG. The pharmacokinetics of agent has been assessed in normal human subjects and will be further evaluated following immunotherapy response.

Education

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, B.S., 1984, Chemistry
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, M.S., 1986, Nuclear Chemistry
Washington University, St. Louis, MO, M.A., 1988, Nuclear Chemistry
Washington University, St. Louis, MO, Ph.D., 1990, Radiopharm. Chemistry
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, Postdoctoral, 1992, Radiopharm. Chemistry

Professional Experience

  • 1990-1992
    DOE Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois
  • 1992-present
    Chief Chemist, Head, Radiochemistry, Center for Functional Imaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • 1992-2005
    Assistant Adjunct Professor of Radiology, University of California San Francisco
  • 2005-present
    Professor of Radiology, University of California San Francisco
  • 2005-present
    Joint Faculty Scientist, Department of Functional Imaging, LBNL

Honors & Awards

  • 1990-1992
    DOE Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Outstanding Performance Award (1993, 1997, 1998, 2000)
  • 2006
    SNM President's Distinguished Service Award

Selected Publications

  1. Stewart MN, Parker MFL, Jivan S, Luu JM, Huynh TL, Schulte B, Seo Y, Blecha JE, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Flavell RR, VanBrocklin HF, Ohliger MA, Rosenberg O, Wilson DM. High Enantiomeric Excess In-Loop Synthesis of d-[methyl-11C]Methionine for Use as a Diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography Radiotracer in Bacterial Infection. ACS Infect Dis. 2020 Jan 10; 6(1):43-49.
    View on PubMed
  2. Beckford Vera DR, Fontaine SD, VanBrocklin HF, Hearn BR, Reid R, Ashley GW, Santi DV. PET Imaging of the EPR Effect in Tumor Xenografts Using Small 15 nm Diameter Polyethylene Glycols Labeled with Zirconium-89. Mol Cancer Ther. 2019 Nov 19.
    View on PubMed
  3. Wang S, Blaha C, Santos R, Huynh T, Hayes TR, Beckford-Vera DR, Blecha JE, Hong AS, Fogarty M, Hope TA, Raleigh DR, Wilson DM, Evans MJ, VanBrocklin HF, Ozawa T, Flavell RR. Synthesis and Initial Biological Evaluation of Boron-Containing Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Ligands for Treatment of Prostate Cancer Using Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. Mol Pharm. 2019 Sep 03; 16(9):3831-3841.
    View on PubMed
  4. Hayes TR, Blecha JE, Thompson CM, Gerdes JM, VanBrocklin HF. Divergent synthesis of organophosphate [11C]VX- and [11C]Sarin-surrogates from a common set of starting materials. Appl Radiat Isot. 2019 Sep; 151:182-186.
    View on PubMed
  5. Levi J, Lam T, Goth SR, Yaghoubi S, Bates J, Ren G, Jivan S, Huynh TL, Blecha JE, Khattri R, Schmidt KF, Jennings D, VanBrocklin H. Imaging of Activated T Cells as an Early Predictor of Immune Response to Anti-PD-1 Therapy. Cancer Res. 2019 Jul 01; 79(13):3455-3465.
    View on PubMed
  6. Beckford-Vera DR, Gonzalez-Junca A, Janneck JS, Huynh TL, Blecha JE, Seo Y, Li X, VanBrocklin HF, Franc BL. PET/CT Imaging of Human TNFa Using [89Zr]Certolizumab Pegol in a Transgenic Preclinical Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Mol Imaging Biol. 2019 May 07.
    View on PubMed
  7. Behr SC, Aggarwal R, VanBrocklin HF, Flavell RR, Gao K, Small EJ, Blecha J, Jivan S, Hope TA, Simko JP, Kurhanewicz J, Noworolski SM, Korn NJ, De Los Santos R, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, Nguyen HG, Greene KL, Langton-Webster B, Berkman CE, Seo Y. Phase I Study of CTT1057, an 18F-Labeled Imaging Agent with Phosphoramidate Core Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen in Prostate Cancer. J Nucl Med. 2019 Jul; 60(7):910-916.
    View on PubMed
  8. Hayes TR, Thompson CM, Blecha JE, Gerdes JM, VanBrocklin HF. Radiosynthesis of O-(1-[18 F]fluoropropan-2-yl)-O-(4-nitrophenyl)methylphosphonate: A novel PET tracer surrogate of sarin. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm. 2018 12; 61(14):1089-1094.
    View on PubMed
  9. Chamberlain CE, German MS, Yang K, Wang J, VanBrocklin H, Regan M, Shokat KM, Ducker GS, Kim GE, Hann B, Donner DB, Warren RS, Venook AP, Bergsland EK, Lee D, Wang Y, Nakakura EK. A Patient-derived Xenograft Model of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Identifies Sapanisertib as a Possible New Treatment for Everolimus-resistant Tumors. Mol Cancer Ther. 2018 12; 17(12):2702-2709.
    View on PubMed
  10. Neumann KD, Blecha JE, Hayes TR, Huynh T, Chao CK, Guilloteau N, Zinn KR, VanBrocklin HF, Thompson CM, Gerdes JM. Radiosynthesis, ex Vivo Biodistribution, and in Vivo Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Evaluations of [11C]2-Pyridinealdoxime Methiodide ([11C]2-PAM): A First-In-Class Antidote Tracer for Organophosphate Intoxication. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2018 12 19; 9(12):3007-3014.
    View on PubMed
  11. Taglang C, Korenchan DE, von Morze C, Yu J, Najac C, Wang S, Blecha JE, Subramaniam S, Bok R, VanBrocklin HF, Vigneron DB, Ronen SM, Sriram R, Kurhanewicz J, Wilson DM, Flavell RR. Late-stage deuteration of 13C-enriched substrates for T1 prolongation in hyperpolarized 13C MRI. Chem Commun (Camb). 2018 May 17; 54(41):5233-5236.
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  12. Jordan CD, Han M, Kondapavulur S, Vera DB, Neumann KD, Moore T, Stillson C, Krug R, Behr S, Seo Y, VanBrocklin HF, Larson PEZ, Wilson M, Martin AJ, Hetts SW. Quantification of 89 Zr-Iron oxide nanoparticle biodistribution using PET-MR and ultrashort TE sequences. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2018 12; 48(6):1717-1720.
    View on PubMed
  13. Mutch CA, Ordonez AA, Qin H, Parker M, Bambarger LE, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Blecha J, Carroll V, Taglang C, Flavell R, Sriram R, VanBrocklin H, Rosenberg O, Ohliger MA, Jain SK, Neumann KD, Wilson DM. [11C]Para-Aminobenzoic Acid: A Positron Emission Tomography Tracer Targeting Bacteria-Specific Metabolism. ACS Infect Dis. 2018 07 13; 4(7):1067-1072.
    View on PubMed
  14. Neumann KD, Villanueva-Meyer JE, Mutch CA, Flavell RR, Blecha JE, Kwak T, Sriram R, VanBrocklin HF, Rosenberg OS, Ohliger MA, Wilson DM. Imaging Active Infection in vivo Using D-Amino Acid Derived PET Radiotracers. Sci Rep. 2017 08 11; 7(1):7903.
    View on PubMed
  15. Ronald JA, Kim BS, Gowrishankar G, Namavari M, Alam IS, D'Souza A, Nishikii H, Chuang HY, Ilovich O, Lin CF, Reeves R, Shuhendler A, Hoehne A, Chan CT, Baker J, Yaghoubi SS, VanBrocklin HF, Hawkins R, Franc BL, Jivan S, Slater JB, Verdin EF, Gao KT, Benjamin J, Negrin R, Gambhir SS. A PET Imaging Strategy to Visualize Activated T Cells in Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease Elicited by Allogenic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant. Cancer Res. 2017 06 01; 77(11):2893-2902.
    View on PubMed
  16. Neumann KD, Thompson CM, Blecha JE, Gerdes JM, VanBrocklin HF. An improved radiosynthesis of O-(2-[18 F]fluoroethyl)-O-(p-nitrophenyl)methylphosphonate: A first-in-class cholinesterase PET tracer. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm. 2017 06 15; 60(7):337-342.
    View on PubMed
  17. Blecha JE, Henderson BD, Hockley BG, VanBrocklin HF, Zubieta JK, DaSilva AF, Kilbourn MR, Koeppe RA, Scott PJH, Shao X. An updated synthesis of [11 C]carfentanil for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the µ-opioid receptor. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm. 2017 06 30; 60(8):375-380.
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  18. Franc BL, Goth S, MacKenzie J, Li X, Blecha J, Lam T, Jivan S, Hawkins RA, VanBrocklin H. In Vivo PET Imaging of the Activated Immune Environment in a Small Animal Model of Inflammatory Arthritis. Mol Imaging. 2017 01 01; 16:1536012117712638.
    View on PubMed
  19. Kondapavulur S, Cote AM, Neumann KD, Jordan CD, McCoy D, Mabray MC, Liu D, Sze CH, Gautam A, VanBrocklin HF, Wilson M, Hetts SW. Optimization of an endovascular magnetic filter for maximized capture of magnetic nanoparticles. Biomed Microdevices. 2016 12; 18(6):109.
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  20. Dannoon S, Ganguly T, Cahaya H, Geruntho JJ, Galliher MS, Beyer SK, Choy CJ, Hopkins MR, Regan M, Blecha JE, Skultetyova L, Drake CR, Jivan S, Barinka C, Jones EF, Berkman CE, VanBrocklin HF. Structure-Activity Relationship of (18)F-Labeled Phosphoramidate Peptidomimetic Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-Targeted Inhibitor Analogues for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer. J Med Chem. 2016 06 23; 59(12):5684-94.
    View on PubMed

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