EAGER: Virus-resembling optical nano-materials for intraoperative ovarian cancer imaging

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

1144237 Anvari This proposal explores a new class of nanoparticles, thus, may have widespread implications in science and in patient care. Visualizing residual tumor deposits at surgery has the promise of improving patient survival for multiple tumor types, including ovarian cancer. Further, addition of phototherapy has the potential for killing tumor deposits that may be too small to see by the surgeon. Successful outcome of the proposed research activities has direct relevance towards future clinical strategies aimed at staging and treatment of ovarian cancer. At one level, targeted OVGs may be utilized in conjunction with the current standard of practice that consists of open surgical cytoreduction to identify small peritoneal lesions that cannot be identified with existing pre-operative imaging methods (e.g., CT and MRI). Identifying these lesions is detrimental to tumor relapse and patient?s survival. Furthermore, with future advancement in microendoscopy technologies, OVGs may prove useful during laparoscopic procedures aimed at staging and clinical management of ovarian cancer, particularly in high risk individuals due to family history.