Jones Seminar on Science, Technology, and Society. "Clinical Translation of Fluorescent Molecular Targeted Imaging Agents."
Kimberley Samkoe, Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College.
11/19/2019
Improving the ability of surgeons to accurately visualize tumor tissue and distinguish it with high sensitivity from the normal surrounding tissue has been a long-standing goal of imaging scientists. Fluorescence guided surgery in oncology has gained momentum over the last several decades with the development of clinic-ready imaging systems and the exploitation of molecular targeted proteins and therapeutics. Thousands of fluorescent targeted molecules, proteins, and nanoparticles are being developed and tested in pre-clinical models of cancer; however, a bottleneck exists in the development pipeline that restricts the translation of these agents into the clinic. A significant contributor to this bottleneck is the relationship between the physical properties of the imaging agent and the requirements needed for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and realistic implementation into the clinical workflow. Here, I will review my recent experience with a small, fluorescent peptide called ABY-029 that targets epidermal growth factor receptor. I will discuss how the molecular properties of ABY-029 – including plasma and tissue pharmacokinetics, ligand-receptor binding kinetics, tissue and organ toxicity, and long-term stability – affect the logistics of clinical integration. In addition, I will present recent work exploring multi-agent imaging cocktails to improve the sensitivity and specificity of tumor detection and the future implications and limitations of translating these combined agents.
0 Comments