Diagnosing aggressive prostate cancer by spectroscopic photoacoustic tomography

描述(申请人提供)：前列腺癌(PCa)是男性癌症患者中的第二大杀手。最终的检查是基于经直肠超声引导下的穿刺针活检和固定的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，由于采样量小，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，它导致对患者的过度治疗。为了满足这一迫切需求，Vironix公司及其在普渡大学和印第安纳大学医学院的研究伙伴提议开发一种光谱振动光声断层扫描(VPAT)系统，用于使用胆固醇酯累积作为生物标记物进行PCA诊断。作为一家总部位于印第安纳州的小企业，S的长期目标是将VPAT技术从工作台带到床边。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的肿瘤大小。Vironix公司和它的研究伙伴组成了一个跨学科的团队来验证这一假说。郑继新博士(Pi)首次证明CE积聚是前列腺癌的标志物。他的实验室还展示了第一个VPAT系统6。梁成博士(MD)是印第安纳大学医学院(IUSM)病理学系的教授，将对前列腺切除术样本进行病理分级。蒂莫西·马斯特森博士(医学博士)是泌尿外科助理教授，专门从事成人泌尿生殖道癌的治疗。提出的假设可以通过以下具体目标来验证：(1)展示一个成像深度为3 cm的小型化VPAT系统。(2)用CE作为鉴别正常前列腺和前列腺癌组织的生物标志物，对完整的前列腺进行VPAT成像，并测量组织体积。交付成果：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，使用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。这一进展将为第二阶段研究奠定基础，在该研究中，将进行体内VPAT成像，CE积聚将与PCa的侵袭性相关。最终，我们的VPAT技术，以一种微创的方式，将帮助医生客观地诊断前列腺癌并决定是否需要前列腺切除术。

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.