Multimodal biomedical imaging probes: development of advanced polymer nanocomposite devices for oncology

尽管针对癌症治疗进行了大量研究，2007年全世界仍有760万人死亡。人们普遍认为，早期发现和治疗对于显著降低死亡率是有效的。生物医学成像技术通常用于许多癌症的检测和分期。然而，需要更高的灵敏度，以便这些技术可以应用于肿瘤的早期检测。为了克服这一缺点，下一代成像探针将被开发出来，这将需要在聚合物和纳米材料科学方面进行基础研究，以最大限度地提高成像灵敏度并扩展探针的功能。成功的结果将为澳大利亚的医疗保健带来显著的好处。

Despite significant research being directed toward cancer treatment, 7.6 million people died world wide in 2007. Early detection and treatment is widely recognised as being effective in significantly reducing mortality rates. Biomedical imaging techniques are routinely used for detection and staging of many cancers. However, greater sensitivity is required so that these techniques can be applied to very early detection of tumours. To overcome this short-coming the next generation of imaging probes will be developed, which will require fundamental investigations in polymer and nanomaterials science to maximise imaging sensitivity and extend probe functionality. Successful outcomes will lead to significant benefits to healthcare in Australia.