UNLU_IRG2010

DOT/MRI Dual-Modality Cancer Imaging Using a Bifunctional Contrast Agent

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'New exogenous molecular probes have been used in the optical imaging field. We have already developed a multi-frequency & multispectral optical tomography animal imaging system. The system has been integrated to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. In this project, we will expand our hybrid system to measure dynamic information from exogenous probes. This system would measure the enhancement kinetics of the bi-functional optical/MR or mono-functional optical contrast agents and the endogenous contrast due to hemoglobin contents and scattering properties. There are two parts of the proposal. In the first part, we will development a novel multi-modality dynamic imaging system. Inthe second part, we will develop polymer based bi-functional and mono-functional optical agents. Such a hybrid system would facilitate the development of new contrast agents for biomedical imaging and that the development of polymer based molecular agents will provide a potential new molecular platform for these new contrast agents. At the end of this project, we will be able to test our hypothesis that “the parameters obtained bymacromolecular optical agent together with total hemoglobin, oxygen saturation and tissue scattering parameters can achieve a higher specificity in differentiating between ENU induced malignant and benign tumors compared to MRI parameters measured by low molecular weight extracellular MRI agents”.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Biomedical imaging has had major impact on the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, significantly improving outcomes for millions. A novel multimodal system gains strength in numbers for even higher specificity of tumour differentiation.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Combining more than one type of imaging in a single system provides a sort of quality control facet to independently track the dynamics of the same contrast agent. EU-funded scientists developed a multimodal dynamic imaging system within the context of the project 'DOT/MRI dual-modality cancer imaging using a bifunctional contrast agent' (UNLU_IRG2010).

The team extended the capabilities of their combined diffuse optical tomography (DOT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to measure dynamic information from exogenous probes. Contrast between tissue types is a critical part of the imaging process, whether due to external contrast agents or endogenous, natural difference in tissue properties. To take full advantage of the imaging system, researchers developed new polymer-based mono- (optical) and bifunctional (optical and magnetic resonance) agents to act as a platform for new contrast agents.

Investigators produced two polymer-based bifunctional contrast agents, one large and one medium-sized, for a combined DOT/MRI system at the University of California, Irvine. Enhancement kinetics, reflecting the haemodynamic features of a lesion due to its greater absorption of contrast agent, is an important indicator of cancerous tissue abnormalities. The combined DOT/MRI system successfully measured the enhancement kinetics of both the mono- and bifunctional contrast agents. It also detected the endogenous difference between normal and cancerous tissue due to differences in haemoglobin content and scattering.

Finally, a study in a rat tumour model with simultaneous acquisition of data from both the DOT and the MRI modes showed that enhancement kinetics measured were similar but not exactly the same. In particular, contrast wash-in rate and time of peak enhancement overlapped, but wash-out was faster for the MRI kinetic curve compared to the optical one. These results support the usefulness of the multimodal imaging system and also highlight the specific parameters that can be compared in a straightforward manner.

UNLU_IRG2010 developed a novel multimodal imaging system and suitable contrast agents that should increase the accuracy of cancer detection and diagnosis. Eventual commercialisation will thus have important benefits for patients as well as for their families and national health care systems.