This federal Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394), aims to develop an x-ray dual-energy cone-beam microCT (DECB microCT) system for intraoperative imaging of lumpectomy specimens during breast-conserving surgery (BCS). The $2,020,098 award to the University of Chicago will support the following key objectives over the 5-year project period: Develop the DECB microCT technology to provide enhanced...
This $593,383 Project Grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) aims to develop an AI-augmented, multimodal, label-free nonlinear optical microscopy system for rapid and precise diagnosis of thyroid cancer and lymph node metastasis. The award supports the creation of a compact, portable, AI-integrated label-free microendoscope designed to fit within a core biopsy needle. This device is intended to enable...
This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) provides $581,723.00 to The Johns Hopkins University to develop an advanced 3D multi-isotope autoradiography imaging system called "Alpha-Scope". The goal is to enable high-resolution in vivo mapping of the distribution and kinetics of radiopharmaceuticals used in cancer therapy, particularly those involving alpha-emitters or low-energy beta-emitters. The new imaging...
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $400,000 Project Grant under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) to O2M Technologies LLC, a small for-profit company in Chicago, IL. The purpose of this 1-year grant, with a period of performance from September 2024 to August 2025, is to develop a multifunctional electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) instrument. This new instrument will be capable of simultaneously generating detailed 3D maps of tissue oxygen...
This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394), provides $399,491 to Northridge Tri-Modality Imaging Inc. to upgrade their gantry-based combined X-ray CT and fluorescent tomography (FLT) system. The key objectives are to add bioluminescence tomography (BLT) capability and enhance the FLT sensitivity and image acquisition speed by integrating an intensified-CCD (ICCD) camera. This upgraded multi-modality...
This $272,835 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), under the Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health (CFDA 93.286) program, aims to develop a new Probe-Based Light Sheet Microscopy (PLSM) device and evaluate its clinical utility for in vivo imaging of the anal mucosa during cancer screening. The University of Arizona, as the prime awardee, will collaborate with researchers from Memorial...
This $554,653 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) supports the development of RARECYTEFINDER, a label-free, genome-wide analysis method for unbiased identification and molecular profiling of rare disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in liquid and tissue biopsies. The key products to be delivered under this 4-year project include: Advanced development and validation of RARECYTEFINDER for accurate detection and analysis of...
This $400,000 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), under the Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394), aims to develop a new Mini-Reflectance Confocal Microscope (Mini-RCM) device to aid in skin cancer diagnosis and treatment. The project, led by Argosmd, Inc., seeks to create a low-cost, portable, and fast Mini-RCM system that can non-invasively examine cellular details of skin lesions. This builds on prior work by the University of Arizona to...
This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) provides $658,336 to Rarecyte, Inc. to develop the ORION2 instrument, a novel system for highly multiplexed spatial profiling of tumor and tissue samples. The ORION2 will combine advanced methods for quantifying 10-60 protein markers in tissue sections at subcellular resolution with machine learning algorithms to prioritize and acquire optimized high-resolution images. This...
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) awarded a $546,874 Project Grant under the "Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health" (CFDA 93.286) program to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The purpose of this 4-year project is to develop an AI-assisted photon-counting-detector CT imaging protocol for multiple myeloma. The goals are to: 1) Create a deep learning model for cytogenetic risk stratification of...
MULTIMODALITY X-RAY TRANSMISSION AND DIFFRACTION SCANNER FOR MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CANCER SPECIMENS - ABSTRACT CANCER RESEARCH USING BIOSPECIMENS REQUIRES THE ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES WITH A LARGE RANGE OF SIZES (SUB-MM TO CM) AND MOLECULAR COMPOSITION OVER A WIDE RANGE OF LENGTH SCALES. IN MANY CASES, 3-DIMENSIONAL SPATIAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIMEN IS CRITICAL TO UNDERSTANDING AND ADDRESSING THE PROGRESSION OF THE DISEASE. X-RAY IMAGING HAS BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED TO PLAY A KEY ROLE IN TISSUE ANALYSIS AND CANCER ASSESSMENT. WHILE TRANSMISSION X-RAY IMAGING (RADIOGRAPHY OR CT) HAS BEEN USED SUCCESSFULLY IN SOME APPLICATIONS WHEREIN SAMPLE MORPHOLOGY IS HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH THE DISEASE STATE, IT LACKS MOLECULAR SPECIFICITY, WHICH LIMITS ITS GENERAL UTILITY IN SPECIMEN ANALYSIS. MANY GROUPS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE UTILITY OF X-RAY DIFFRACTION (XRD) IN ANALYZING MOLECULAR STRUCTURE IN BIOSPECIMENS; HOWEVER, NONE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED A VIABLE METHOD OF FAST AND ACCURATE 3D XRD MEASUREMENT IN A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT. THE KEY CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH REALIZING SUCH A SYSTEM INCLUDE THE FACT THAT HIGH ACCURACY XRD MEASUREMENTS HAVE TYPICALLY REQUIRED ACCESS TO A SYNCHROTRON OR ANOTHER SPECIALIZED SOURCE, WHICH IS DIFFICULT FOR THE AVERAGE RESEARCHER TO ACCESS. IN CONTRAST, CONVENTIONAL LABORATORY DIFFRACTION METHODS ARE SLOW, REQUIRE DESTRUCTION OR ALTERATION OF THE SPECIMENS, AND EXHIBIT POOR OR NO VOLUMETRIC SPATIAL INFORMATION. TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A NEW RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING DEVICE THAT CAN SCAN THE ENTIRE VOLUME OF A BIOSPECIMEN AND GENERATE CO-REGISTERED, MULTI-MODAL X-RAY TRANSMISSION AND XRD IMAGES. SUCH TECHNOLOGY WOULD ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO STUDY MOLECULAR PROPERTIES OF TISSUE SPECIMENS WITH HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND HIGH SPECIFICITY USING A TOOL THAT IS COMPACT, ROBUST, AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN AN AVERAGE RESEARCH LABORATORY. THE SAMPLES WOULD BE ANALYZED WITHOUT CONTRAST AGENTS AND WITH LITTLE TO NO SAMPLE PREPARATION REQUIRED. THROUGH PREVIOUS WORK, WE HAVE BUILT, TESTED, AND DEMONSTRATED THE UNDERLYING TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED FOR COMBINED TRANSMISSION AND DIFFRACTION IMAGING OF BIOSPECIMENS. WE WILL NOW BUILD A CLINICALLY ACCESSIBLE, HIGH-RESOLUTION PROTOTYPE OF THE SCANNER, TEST AND VALIDATE ITS PERFORMANCE, AND DEMONSTRATE ITS UTILITY IN IMAGING BONE AND BREAST CANCER BIOSPECIMENS. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND X-RAY TRANSMISSION/DIFFRACTION SCANNER FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF CANCER BIOSPECIMENS, WHICH COULD ENABLE PATHWAYS FOR NEW CLINICAL STUDIES EXPLORING THE ROLE OF XRD IN TISSUE ABNORMALITIES, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENESIS AND EVOLUTION OF CANCER.