Research

Cancer Systems Imaging (CSI) consists of several different core labs including chemistry, radiochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, animal models, transgenic animal models, and molecular imaging.

Work in individual laboratories includes individual investigator/principal investigator-initiated research, as well as core-like research functions and materials development for intra-departmental (within CSI) and interdepartmental multidisciplinary basic, pre-clinical and clinical-translational collaborative projects at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Ongoing funded grants

David Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: WU-MDACC Inter-Institutional Molecular Imaging Center.
Goal: To support a multi-institutional Molecular Imaging Center at Washington University Medical School and MD Anderson.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Membrane Permeant Peptides for Imaging Cell Function.
Goal: To synthesize and develop novel cell penetrating imaging agents to interrogate intracellular enzyme activities.

Pratip K. Bhattacharya, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Early Detection of PanIN by Hyperpolarized Metabolic MR Imaging
Goal: To develop the capability of non-invasively detecting advanced pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) precursor lesions in pancreas prior to invasive disease using metabolic imaging modality.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Early assessment of ovarian cancer aggressiveness and therapeutic efficacy by real-time hyperpolarized metabolic imaging
Goal: To develop the capability of distinguishing maliganant from benign masses and monitoring ovarian cancer therapy using hyperpolarized metabolic imaging.

Rivka Colen, M.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Radiogenomic Screen to Identify Novel Proliferation-associated Glioblastoma Genomic Therapeutic Targets: Discovery and Mechanistic Validation Study
Goal: The major goal is to uncover and validate novel, relevant, and clinically meaningful genomic targets that can be subsequently developed into a therapeutic and more personalized treatment for Glioblastoma.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Radiome Sequencing of Glioblastoma:  Decoding the Imaging Genomic Landscape and Heterogeneity.
Goal: To determine and define GBM genomic and imaging intratumoral heterogeneity using precision based-image guided neurosurgical biopsies.

Victor Krasnykh, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: New generation of radiotracers for PET imaging of molecular signatures of tumors
Goal: To develop radiotracers for measuring the levels of tumor biomarkers by PET.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Novel probes for near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided oncologic surgery.
Goal: To establish the feasibility of intraoperative tumor detection using novel near-infrared fluorescence imaging probes.

Chun Li, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Targeted Delivery of Cyclopamine by Biodegradable Cross-Linked Polymeric Micelles for Radio-Chemotherapy of Pancreatic Cancer
Goal: To test the hypothesis that cyclopamine-loaded, biodegradable core-crosslinked polymeric micelles that home to pancreatic cancer stroma will effectively disrupt desmoplastic stroma tissue, sensitize pancreatic cancer to radio-chemotherapy, resulting in increased antitumor activity compared to radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Multifunctional Hollow Gold Nanospheres for Concurrent Photothermal—Chemotherapy
Goal: To synthesize and characterize high-quality DOX@PEG-HAuNS in large scale and under Good laboratory Practice (GLP) production conditions, 2) To determine the pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of DOX@PEG-HAuNS after intraarterial injection in rats, and to demonstrate the feasibility of concurrent PTA and DOX chemotherapy in relevant animal liver cancer models.

Niki M. Zacharias Millward, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title: Early detection, characterization, and monitoring efficacy of chemotherapy in prostate cancer using hyperpolarized metabolic imaging agents.
Goal: To apply hyperpolarized diethyl succinate metabolic imaging in the detection and characterization of prostate cancer in a transgenic animal model (TRAMP).

Steven Millward, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title:  Development of SUPR peptides as PET Imaging Agents for Her2-positive Breast Cancer
Goal: Carry out preclinical evaluation of a SUPR peptide-based PET radiotracer for visualization of Her2 expression in breast cancer.

Role:  Principal Investigator
Title: Targeted Molecular Imaging of Cell Death in Ovarian Cancer
Goal:  Develop targeted molecular imaging agents to visualize apoptosis and autophagy in vivo by PET and MRI.

Florian Muller, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title:  Passenger Deletion of ENO1 as a Targetable Vulnerability in Cancer
Goal:  Probe the biochemical consequences, adaptations and possible bypasses of Enolase inhibition in vitro as well as directly validate ENO1 deletion as a therapeutic target in intracranial gliomas in vivo, and finally to identify a clinical candidate Enolase inhibitor.

Jun Zhao, Ph.D.

Role: Principal Investigator
Title:  Improve Radiation Efficacy in pancreatic Tumor using Nanoparticle-bound Radiosensitizer
Goal: To evaluate the nanoparticle-bound radiosensitizers in combination with tumor-specific radiation to treat pancreatic cancer patient-derived xenograft models.  The toxicity and safety profiles of treatment will be assessed.

Role:  Co-Principal Investigator
Title:  Determination of the Efficacy of TIG1-Targeted Therapy Using Nanoparticle-Delivered siRNA in Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Goal:  To determine the therapeutic efficacy of targeting TIG1 in Inflammatory Best Cancer in vivo.