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.
Selected 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 malignant from benign masses and monitoring ovarian cancer therapy using hyperpolarized metabolic imaging.
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.
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.