INNOSENSE CORPORATION — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an in vivo diagnostic platform for rec
INNOSENSE CORPORATION — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Health and Human Services.
- Amount
- $249,999
- Agency
- Department of Health and Human Services · National Institutes of Health
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CA
- Period
- —
Description
This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an in vivo diagnostic platform for recognizing indicators of tumor-microenvironment, unambiguously, in biological fluids, tissue phantoms and small animal imaging. Specific project aims are to synthesizeand evaluate cancer-specific, thermoresponsive, nanoparticle-based, near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents (ThermoDots) for optical imaging of tumors. ThermoDots will increase the payload and spatial resolution of the delivered contrast agent fromthe combined effect of: (1) enhanced signal of NIR fluorophores due to temperature modulation (TM) by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) agitation, and (2) targeted binding of prostate cancer-specific moieties conjugated onto the particle surface. Phase I tasks include benchmarking experiments to validate the design in relevant physiological media, tissue phantoms, cell studies and preliminary in vivo imaging using an orthotopic cancer model (PC-3M) in nude mice. The recognition relevance of ThermoDots will undergo second-stage validation in Phase II in the extended animal model studies using temperature modulated fluorescence tomography (TM-FT) guided HIFU small animal imaging. The project team includes a university collaborator with extensive experience in the tumor imaging area. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE