Diagnosing aggressive prostate cancer by spectroscopic photoacoustic tomography

描述（申请人提供）：前列腺癌（PCa）是男性癌症患者的第二大杀手。最终测试是基于经直肠超声引导下的针活检和固定前列腺组织的组织学检查。这种传统的诊断方法是侵入性的，由于取样量小，漏诊了30%的癌症病例。此外，由于诊断侵袭性癌症的特异性较低，导致对患者的过度治疗。为了解决这一迫切需求，Vibronix公司及其在普渡大学和印第安纳大学医学院的研究合作伙伴提议开发一种光谱振动光声断层扫描（VPAT）系统，以胆固醇酯积累为生物标志物，用于前列腺癌诊断。作为一家位于印第安纳州的小企业，Vibronix公司的长期目标是将VPAT技术从台式应用到病床上。这个STTR项目的中心假设是VPAT系统可以测量完整前列腺组织中肿瘤的大小。Vibronix公司与其研究合作伙伴组成了一个跨学科团队来验证这一假设。程吉鑫博士（PI）是第一个证明CE积累是前列腺癌的标志。他的实验室还演示了第一个VPAT系统。Dr. Liang Cheng （MD）是印第安纳大学医学院病理科教授，将对前列腺切除术样本进行病理分级。Timothy Masterson博士（医学博士）是泌尿外科助理教授，专门从事成人泌尿生殖系统癌症的治疗。提出的假设可以通过以下具体目标进行验证：(1)演示成像深度为3 cm的小型化VPAT系统。(2)利用CE作为生物标志物对完整前列腺进行光谱VPAT成像，区分正常和癌前列腺组织，并测量组织体积。成果：在成功设计和评估经直肠光谱VPAT系统后，我们将产生一种新的成像技术，以CE作为生物标志物来测量完整前列腺中的前列腺肿瘤体积。这一进展将为II期研究奠定基础，该研究将进行体内VPAT成像，并将CE积累与PCa的侵袭性相关。最终，我们的VPAT技术将以一种微创的方式帮助医生客观地诊断前列腺癌，并决定是否需要进行前列腺切除术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Prostate cancer (PCa) is the No. 2 killer among male cancer patients. The ultimate test is based on transrectal ultrasound guided needle biopsy and histological examination of fixed prostate tissues. This conventional diagnostic procedure is invasive, missing 30% cases of cancer due to small sampling volume. Moreover, it leads to an overtreatment of patients due to low specificity in diagnosing aggressive cancers. To address this pressing need, Vibronix, Inc. and its research partners at Purdue University and Indiana University School of Medicine propose to develop a spectroscopic vibrational photoacoustic tomography (VPAT) system for PCa diagnosis using cholesteryl ester accumulation as biomarker. As an Indiana-based small business, Vibronix, Inc.'s long-term goal is to bring the VPAT technology from bench top to bedside. The central hypothesis of this STTR project is that the VPAT system can measure the size of the tumor in intact prostate tissue. Vibronix, Inc. along with its research partners have formed an interdisciplinary team to test this hypothesis. Dr. Ji-Xin Cheng (PI) the first to demonstrate CE accumulation as a marker for PCa. His lab also demonstrated the first VPAT system 6. Dr. Liang Cheng (MD) is a professor in Department of Pathology in Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) and will perform pathological grading of the prostatectomy samples. Dr. Timothy Masterson (MD) is an Assistant Professor of Urology and specializes in the treatment of adult genitourinary cancers. The proposed hypothesis can be tested through the following specific aims: (1) Demonstrate a miniaturized VPAT system with an imaging depth of 3 cm. (2) Demonstrate spectroscopic VPAT imaging of intact prostate gland using CE as a biomarker to differentiate normal and cancerous prostate tissues, and the measurement of the tissue volume. Deliverable: Upon successful design and evaluation of the transrectal spectroscopic VPAT system, we will have generated a new imaging technology for measure the prostate tumor volume in an intact prostate gland using CE as a biomarker. This advance will pave the foundation for a phase II study in which in vivo VPAT imaging will be performed and CE accumulation will be correlated with aggressiveness of PCa. Eventually, our VPAT technology, in a minimally invasive manner, would assist a physician to diagnose PCa objectively and to decide whether prostatectomy surgery is needed.