Optoacoustic Technology for Early Cancer Detection

November A new and very promising Laser-Ultrasound-Nanotechnology combination that detects malignant breast tumors one-fifth the size found with conventional technology has attracted U.S. Federal funding totalling US$3.8 million. The new federal funding will support Phase II research into breast and prostate cancer detection using laser optoacoustic imaging technology developed by Fairway Medical Technologies.

The research funding includes authorization of two National Cancer Institute grants:

* A US$2.7 million Phase II grant from The National Institutes of Health-National Cancer Institute (NIH-NCI) to further develop the imaging technology in laboratory animal tests, and to explore its use in attacking cancer tumor cells.

* A US$1.1 million SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Phase II grant by the National Cancer Institute to develop a commercial medical imaging system for early detection of prostate cancer that is able to provide real time visualization of small prostate cancers and to guide prostate biopsy procedures.

The optoacoustic technology will be introduced as a real-time screening tool for breast cancer detection and diagnosis, an estimated US$5.9 billion market in North America, by Seno Medical Instruments of San Antonio, which has purchased the technology and entered into a long-term development agreement with Fairway. Seno will also provide development funding for the technology’s initial commercialization steps.

Breast Cancer Detection

The new $2.7 million nanotechnology grant should allow Fairway to prove that optoacoustic imaging can locate tumors tagged with gold nanorods bound to antibodies against breast cancer-specific receptors. This new NIH-NCI funding authorization follows successful conclusion of Phase I research to optimize the imaging system and fabricate prototype gold nanorods.

Over four years of research and pilot studies by scientists at Fairway and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) indicates the system can detect breast cancer tumors potentially as small as 2 millimeters, five time smaller than most malignant breast tumors detected currently. If this is confirmed in Phase II tests with laboratory animals, it would mean that the proprietary system will make it possible to identify tumors that are easily curable and currently undetectable.

Phase II NIH Research

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