Project Grant R44CA199826

The National Science Foundation awarded $256,000 to Optave Diagnostics LLC through the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) to develop a prototype endoscopic probe for molecular imaging and diagnosis of cancerous prostate pathologies. The 12-month project grant will support the creation of a medical device using photoacoustic imaging and acoustic lens technology to aid in the detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. The proposed endoscopic probe offers an alternative...

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.395 - Cancer Treatment Research) provides funding of $799,962 to Tripill Biotechnology, Corp. to develop radiolabeled PSMA agents with low salivary gland uptake for improved prostate cancer imaging and therapy. The key products and services to be delivered include: Constructing PSMA derivative compounds, such as NOTA-UNC-PSMA2, that can selectively reduce salivary gland uptake while maintaining high tumor uptake in prostate...

This $256,000 National Science Foundation Project Grant under the Engineering (47.041) program will support the development of an artificial intelligence-based system for analyzing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to detect prostate lesions. The awardee, Taurus Diagnostics, Inc., will create a novel prostate cancer diagnostic platform leveraging artificial intelligence image analysis for high sensitivity and specificity. Key objectives include developing methods to...

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) to the Regents of the University of Michigan aims to develop a real-time functional photoacoustic imaging platform to accurately detect and characterize the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. The $568,151 award, effective February 3, 2025 through January 31, 2030, will support the optimization of photoacoustic contrast agents, evaluation of the imaging platform in mouse models, and...

This $692,072 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) will fund the development of a novel theranostic platform using PSMA-targeted poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers for the management of prostate cancer. The key products to be delivered include: PSMA-targeted theranostic agents that enable highly specific targeting, quantitative PET/CT imaging for patient selection, and delivery of potent antimitotic agents....

This Project Grant awarded by the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) to Metastx LLC, a small business located in Pittsburgh, PA, provides $399,954 in funding from Jul 1, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026. The project aims to develop a novel predictive model for metastatic potential in early-stage prostate cancer patients by integrating epithelial-mesenchymal transition signature markers with advanced imaging and machine learning techniques. The goal is to...

This federal Project Grant award of $185,171 from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) under the Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health program (CFDA 93.286) will support research to optimize polymeric chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents for prostate cancer detection. The research aims to synthesize and characterize CEST MRI agents with varying charge and...

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $400,000 Project Grant under CFDA 93.394 (Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) to O2M Technologies LLC to develop a Multifunctional Imager (MFI) that can simultaneously acquire tissue oxygen pressure (pO2) and pH maps using electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) techniques. The 12-month project aims to create a 25 MT Halbach-type permanent magnet, new multi-modal transmit-receive electronics, and the integrated MFI instrument. This...

This Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research program (CFDA 93.394) provides $538,553.00 to the University of Miami to conduct longitudinal imaging and liquid biopsy studies to identify markers for prostate cancer radiotherapy outcomes. The goal is to develop a multivariable model that incorporates pre-treatment and longitudinal multiparametric MRI features and circulating tumor cells to guide physicians' decisions on radiation therapy...

The National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research) awarded a $1,811,052 Project Grant to Manzanita Pharmaceuticals Inc. to complete IND-enabling studies for NerveLight, a novel nerve imaging agent for use during radical prostatectomies. The funding will support non-GLP dose-range finding studies in dogs, as well as GLP toxicology and safety pharmacology studies in rats and dogs, to confirm the safety of NerveLight. Upon successful completion of these...