The mission of this project is to employ imaging technology with selective tumor targeting to develop a family of new imaging instruments for tumor detection and therapy
This technology combines spectral imaging hardware with tumor selective fluorescent molecules to enhance the detection of tumors that might be missed by conventional biopsy.
This tumor detection strategy will be extended to create an endoscopic instrument that can be used during surgery to ensure complete removal of tumor tissue as well as minimize the unnecessary excision of benign tissue.
Folate Delivery of Drugs to Tumors
(Prof. Philip S. Low, Purdue University)
Folate acts as a “Trojan horse” to tumor cells by fooling the cell into taking up a folate molecule linked to an imaging or therapeutic agent
Folate Targeting of a Fluorescent Molecule to Tumor Cells
Tumor cells take up a folate-fluorescent dye (round cells), while non-tumor cells do not take up any folate conjugate (long, flat cells.)
Fluorescent spectra of targeting agent compared
to normal tissue
(Prof. Dor Ben-Amotz, Purdue University)
Fluorescence spectra of the tumor targeting agent compared to that of the animal muscle tissue. This phthalocyanine targeting agent shows potential as both a cancer imaging and a photo-therapy agent (Prof. David H. Thompson, Purdue University).