Philip S. Low

Next Generation Targeted Therapeutics

Tumor-targeted dyes for fluorescence-guided surgery of cancer

Complete surgical resection of all malignant tissue remains the most reliable cure for malignant tumors. To facilitate quantitative removal of all cancerous lesions, we have developed several tumor-targeted fluorescent dyes that bind selectively to receptors on cancer cells and enable the surgeon to locate and resect the tumor nodules without removing excess normal tissue.

First Fluorescence-guided surgery in humans using a tumor-targeted dye (Folate-FITC)

Left: surgeons former view. Right: Surgeon's new view

Following introduction of several tumor-targeted fluorescent dyes into human clinical trials, we have learned that the targeted dyes are highly specific for tumor tissue and that they enable the surgeons to:

  1. Find and resect more malignant lesions,

  2. Detect and remove positive tumor margins,

  3. More accurately stage cancer patients, and

  4. Locate and resect more malignant lymph nodes than was previously possible using standard surgical methods of palpation and visual inspection.

Our current discovery efforts are focused on developing a "cocktail" of tumor-targeted fluorescent dyes that will collectively allow identification and localization of all malignant lesions regardless of cancer type. We are also exploring the use of tumor targeting ligands to deliver attached photodynamic therapy agents for photoablation of difficult-to-resect tumor masses.

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