Molecular Imaging of Cancer Cells in Vivo

This technology is a non-invasive method of detecting cancer using in vivo probes that target and bind to receptor cites on or around the cancerous growth.

Applications:

• Cancer detection - identify and confirm possible tumors
• Optical imaging probe

Advantages:

• As an optical imaging probe, there is a high sensitivity for ligand detection and binding. This allows for a high detection success rate as well as the visualization of subtle anomalies.
• The probe is not radioactive, making it safer than the PET scan alternative probes
• As a fluorescent probe, it is more versatile than the bioluminescent counterpart. Furthermore, it is easier to introduce into an organism.

Status:
Issued U.S. patents #10,406,248 and #11,458,212

Related Publications:

• Seya, T., T. Akazawa, J. Uehori, M. Matsumoto, I. Azuma, and K. Toyoshima. “Role of Toll-like Receptors and Their Adaptors in Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Cancer.” Anticancer Research 23.6A (2003): 4369-376. Europe PubMed Central. 2003. Web. 28 Dec. 2013. http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/14666723.
• Adams, Sylvia. “Toll-like Receptor Agonists in Cancer Therapy.” Immunotherapy 1.6 (2009): 949-64. Future Medicine. Future Medicien Ltd., Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Dec. 2013. http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/abs/10.2217/imt.09.70.
• Vabulas, Ramunas M., Parviz Ahmad-Nejad, Clarissa De Costa, Thomas Miethke, Carsten J. Kirschning, Hans Hacker, and Hermann Wagner. “Endocytosed HSP60s Use Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 to Activate the Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor Signaling Pathway in Innate Immune Cells.” The Journal of Biological Chemistry 276 (2001): 31332-1339. JBC. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc., 11 June 2001. Web. 28 Dec. 2013. http://www.jbc.org/content/276/33/31332.full.pdf+html.
• Wetzler, Lee M. “The Role of Toll-like Receptor 2 in Microbial Disease and Immunity.” Vaccine 21.2 (2003): S55-60. Science Direct. Elseiver, 1 June 2003. Web. 28 Dec. 2013. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X03002019.
• Latz, Eicke, Anjali Verma, Alberto Visintin, Mei Gong, Cherilyn M. Sirois, Dionne CG Klein, Brian G. Monks, C. J. McKnight, Marc S. Lamphier, W. P. Duprex, Terje Espevik, and Douglas T. Golenbock. “Ligand-induced Conformational Changes Allosterically Activate Toll-like Receptor 9.” Nature Immunology 8 (2007): 772-79. Nature. Nature Publishing Group, 17 June 2007. Web. 28 Dec. 2013. http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v8/n7/full/ni1479.html.