SBIR Phase I: Nanoparticle-Based Radio-Imaging and Ablation of Lung Cancer

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a targeted combined imaging and therapeutic agent for lung cancer. A near-infrared absorbing nanoparticle will be linked with a ligand for a cell surface protein expressed in many cancers, the folate receptor and a radionuclide commonly used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). After infusion into the blood stream, the targeting ligand will cause the particle to bind to tumor cells, enabling both tumor detection as well as therapy. The radiolabel attached to the particle will be used to identify accumulation of the particles within the tumor or micro-metastases by instrumentation currently available for SPECT. The tumor cells can then be thermally ablated by applying near-infrared laser illumination to the identified area. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a technology for the detection and treatment of the regional or distal metastases, which may significantly improve the outcomes of lung cancer therapy. The sensitivity of the radiolabel and the selectivity of the targeting ligand will allow the detection of early disease. There were an estimated 159,390 deaths due to lung cancer in the US in 2008. In 2009, the incidence of lung cancer in the US is estimated to be 219,440 cases. Lung cancer is also highly prevalent outside the US. Most patients are diagnosed after the cancer has metastasized which significantly decreases the chance of survival. This technology may provide a possibility to image and target early disease or regional or distal spread and allow more effective treatment of lung cancer.