Product for sensitive imaging of cells in vivo

This project aims to develop and commercialize a novel and highly sensitive MRI probe technology for the cell therapy tools marketThis project will transfer technology invented in the academic lab of DrAhrens at UCSDto CelsenseIncan established company that offers imaging agents for visualizing the trafficking of cell therapies and inflammation in the body using magnetic resonance imagingMRIOverallthe Company s products are tools that provide quantive data on the in vivo trafficking of cellsThe core products of the Company are imaging agents based on unique perfluorocarbonPFCemulsion compositionsThe Company generates revenue by international sales of its proprietary imaging agent products for clinical and preclinical useas well as specialized softwarelicensing feesand fee for service contractsA common need for developers of cell therapies is a non invasive means to visualize the biodistribution of cells following injectionImaging of cell trafficking can provide crucial feedback regarding the persistencemotilityoptimal routes of delivery and therapeutic dosesThis same information can also help to overcome regulatory barriersThe PFC agents are designed to be taken up by cells in cultureand following transfer to the subjectcells are tracked in vivo using fluorineFMRIThe fluorine inside the cells yields cell specific imageswith no background signalImages are readily quantified to measure apparent cell numbers at sites of accumulationWe and others have demonstrated that these methods can track a wide range of cell types including various stem cells and immune cell typesImportantlya collaboration between Celsense and the Ahrens lab has demonstrated clinical use with this technology to detect cellular immunotherapy in cancer patientsLooking forwardimproving the sensitivity ofF cell detection will lower the barriers for using this technology in a wider range of biomedical applicationsRecent preclinical results from the Ahrens lab demonstrate dramatically enhanced sensitivity of fluorine MRI by the invention of a new class of molecules that combine highly fluorinated nanoemulsions with the magnetic properties of metals that are solubilized into the fluorous phaseThe resultingF MRI detection sensitivity boost is conservatively estimated to be at leastfold at a clinical field strength ofTThese recent advances in imaging probe technology will fit perfectly into Celsense s reagent product lineThe goal of this project is to initiate this technology transfer and make the transformation to commercial productinitially for the preclinical marketThe Specific Aims of this project areChemistry optimization and scale upPhysical analytical characterization and stability testing of prototype nanoemulsion agentIn vitro biological testing of cell uptakecytotoxicity and cell phenotype in cells labeled with FETRISGeneration of in vivo preclinical MRI datasets in rodents for agent evaluation and marketing purposesOur view is that the new FETRIS imaging probe technology will be attractive to customers due to its greatly enhanced sensitivity and image quality This project aims to commercialize a novel reagent technology used to tag and image new types of therapeutic cellssuch as stem cells and immune cellsthat are delivered to the body to treat life threatening diseasesThe cells are imaged using magnetic resonance imagingMRIImaging the therapeutic cells after they are placed in the body helps scientists and clinicians understand the best way to deliver the cells and how they behave afterwardsThis information can be used to help speed the adoption of these new therapies