Development of Molecularly Targeted Ultrasound Contrast Agents for Prostate Cancer Imaging using Bioorthogonal Chemistry

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Current imaging and biopsy methods for the detection of prostate cancer have major limitations that impact patient outcomesand can lead to unnecessary treatments. These include the use of ineffective therapies, or unnecessary and life-altering sideeffects being experienced by patients, resulting in added and unnecessary expense and burden to the healthcare system.The aim of the proposed study is to overcome these limitations by using ultrasound imaging, together with a new generationof targeted contrast agents that bind to prostate cancer cells, but not to normal tissue. The microbubble contrast agentsutilize a new targeting technology that allows them to collect only in aggressive tumors, resulting in an enhanced ultrasoundsignal. With this approach, it will be possible to properly identify those patients that need immediate and more aggressivetreatment, from those that can opt for active surveillance. It will also create a tool to help better guide biopsies, in order tominimize sampling errors and the need to repeat procedures, which at present happen too frequently. The availability ofultrasound technology in most cancer centers makes this approach both feasible and highly useful for detection andmonitoring of prostate cancer.The project will be accomplished through collaboration between a chemistry group at McMaster University and an ultrasoundimaging group at Sunnybrook Hospital. Students from science and health science fields will work in teams to carry out thespecific aims. The proposal is supported by strong preliminary research and the active participation of a Canadianultrasound imaging company and a national centre of excellence, whose expertise ensure that the new technologies canquickly move from the laboratory to the clinic, and ultimately to the market. The results of this project could bring a paradigmshift in how prostate cancer patients are diagnosed, and at the same time reduce unnecessary treatments and improvingoutcomes.