The Southwestern In Vivo Cancer Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center will develop new procedures for non-invasively identifying cancer, predicting therapeutic efficacy, and assessing response to therapy encompassing both MR and nuclear techniques. There is an increasing sentiment that therapy should be individualized to the characteristics of each patients tumor (disease) taking into account genetic and epigenetic (micro-environmental) factors. While single parameters have often been the focus of modulated treatment (e.g., hypoxia), it is increasingly evident that a multi-parametric, multi-disciplinary approach is required. We focus on four major Research Areas, capitalizing on the strengths of UT Southwestern: 1) Prognostic Radiology: developmental and evaluation of physiological molecular markers of response to therapy (e.g., pO2, pH and blood flow); 2) Genetic Signatures: development of non-invasive molecular markers to image disease progression (array technology to identify characteristic over time or under expression of genes); 3) Instrumentation and Assays: development and application of non-invasive methods for assessing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of therapeutic interventions non-invasively (small animal nuclear imaging instruments and novel MR active reporter molecules); 4) Molecules and Mechanics: development and application of novel molecular and cellular tumor targeting strategies (identification of bioactive ligands and delivery using ultrasonic stimulation). Interactions stimulated by the Pre-ICMIC among leading investigators [physicians (oncologists, radiologists), basic scientists (physicists, molecular biologists, tumor biologists, chemists) and imaging scientists (engineers, physicists, chemists)] are already generating noel results, pointing to exciting new research leads and clinical practice. Facilities will be made available to outstanding Development Projects based on competitive review to generate new collaborative research programs in oncology. We believe imaging will lead to more efficient and rapid development of novel therapies (e.g., tumor directed infarcts and gene therapy) by providing assays of agent distribution and activity and tumor response. Ultimately, early indicators of therapeutic efficacy will improve cure, reduce unnecessary medication (yielding cost savings), and above all, improve survival and quality of life for patients. Thus, we foresee developments from the bench to the bedside, and viewbox, with iterative loops to define the utility of cancer imaging.
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