EAGER: Dual magnetic resonance and optical modalities for image-guided early detection, staging, and resection of ovarian tumors

卵巢癌是女性中最致命的妇科癌症。大多数妇女在疾病晚期才被诊断出来。手术切除肿瘤后再进行化疗是治疗卵巢癌的金标准。目前，没有足够准确的筛查方法来早期发现卵巢癌。研究人员建议发展一种基于磁共振和荧光的双重成像模式，用于卵巢肿瘤的早期检测、分期和图像引导切除。该方法的可行性将在卵巢癌动物模型中进行测试。提出的方法可能最终使卵巢癌的早期发现，并提高生存率。根据这项EAGER提案，研究人员建议探索使用磁共振（MR）和荧光的双重成像模式剂的变革潜力，用于卵巢肿瘤植入物的早期检测，分期和引导切除。这种双重成像方式是基于一种创新的脂质体纳米颗粒系统，该系统含有钆（Gd）和一种新的溴化菁染料（BrCy106），分别作为MR和光学造影剂。研究人员的长期目标是开发高灵敏度的成像方法，在手术前通过磁共振成像（MRI）早期检测和定位小卵巢肿瘤，然后在手术中使用近红外荧光成像（NIRFI）来辅助分期和指导手术切除所有无法可视化的肿瘤。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer in women. Most women are diagnosed at the late stage of the disease. Surgical removal of tumors followed by chemotherapy is the gold standard to treat ovarian cancer. Currently, there is no sufficiently accurate screening method for early detection of ovarian cancer. The investigators propose to develop a dual imaging modality based on magnetic resonance and flourescene for early detection, staging, and image guided-removal of ovarian tumors. Feasiblity of the proposed approach will be tested in animal models of ovarian cancer. The proposed approach may ultimately enable early detection of ovarian cancer, and improve survival. Under this EAGER proposal, the investigators propose to explore the transformative potential of a dual imaging modality agent using magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescence for early detection, staging, and guided-resection of ovarian tumor implants. This dual imaging modality method is based on an innovative liposomal nanoparticle system that contains gadolinium (Gd), and a new brominated cyanine dye (BrCy106) as the respective MR and optical contrast agents. The long-term goal of the investigators is to develop imaging methods with high sensitivities for both early detection and localization of small ovarian tumors prior to surgery by MR imaging (MRI), followed by near infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRFI) at surgery to aide staging and guide surgical removal of all tumors which cannot otherwise be visualized.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.