SBIR-STTR Award

Novel multispectral optoacoustic tomography contrast agents for evaluation of early response to radiation therapy
Award last edited on: 3/20/2022

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NCI
Total Award Amount
$399,997
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
394
Principal Investigator
Joshua Akhigbe

Company Information

NIRvana Sciences Inc

2 Davis Drive Suite 113
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
   (919) 354-1053
   info@nirvanasciences.com
   nirvanasciences.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 04
County: Durham

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43CA265603-01
Start Date: 9/22/2021    Completed: 8/31/2022
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$399,997
Vascular perfusion is a useful biomarker for assessment of many pathological conditions. Our research willfocus on development of superior contrast agents for use with Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (DCE) Multi-Spectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT; also known as photoacoustic imaging (PAI)) to quantitativelymeasure changes in this parameter to measure early response of solid tumors to radiation therapy. Thisemerging imaging technology provides outstanding temporal resolution that is critical for estimating kineticperfusion rates while also providing excellent spatial resolution. However, existing contrast agents for thisimaging modality possess serious performance limitations. NIRvana Sciences, Inc. proposes to develop a newcontrast agent with enhanced performance in DCE MSOT. This will include modification of existinghydrophobic designs to optimize their water solubility, biocompatibility, and biodistribution attributes for in vivouse. NIRvana's agents possess sharp, narrow absorption bands in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral window andoffer the first multi-color palette of spectrally resolvable narrow spectrum agents for multiplex imaging withMSOT with greater sensitivity. These contrast agents will provide outstanding innovations for evaluation ofchanges in tumor perfusion by DCE MSOT that can indicate an early response to radiation therapy.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Project Narrative/Public Health Relevance NIRvana Sciences proposes to develop a new contrast agent for Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Multi-Spectral Optoacoustic Tomography (DCE MSOT). This new contrast agent will have a sharp, narrow absorption band that is suitable for multiplex imaging, and has greater sensitivity than the commonly used MSOT contrast agents. We will exploit the advantages of this new contrast agent to improve the measurements of tumor vascular perfusion by DCE MSOT, which can gauge the early response to radiation therapy and chemotherapeutic agents in xenograft tumor models, and eventually in patients with cancer.

Project Terms:
absorption ; Albumins ; Algorithms ; Animals ; Blood ; Blood Reticuloendothelial System ; Blood Vessels ; vascular ; Malignant Neoplasms ; Cancers ; Malignant Tumor ; malignancy ; neoplasm/cancer ; Color ; Contrast Media ; Contrast Agent ; Contrast Drugs ; Radiopaque Media ; Exhibits ; Foundations ; Goals ; Human ; Modern Man ; In Vitro ; Indocyanine Green ; Ujoveridin ; Wofaverdin ; Kinetics ; Lethal Dose 50 ; LD-50 ; LD50 ; Patients ; Perfusion ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Macrogols ; Polyethylene Oxide ; Polyethyleneoxide ; Polyoxyethylenes ; Radiation therapy ; Radiotherapeutics ; Radiotherapy ; radiation treatment ; radio-therapy ; treatment with radiation ; Research ; Science ; Signal Transduction ; Cell Communication and Signaling ; Cell Signaling ; Intracellular Communication and Signaling ; Signal Transduction Systems ; Signaling ; biological signal transduction ; Technology ; Tissues ; Body Tissues ; Measures ; Vascular Permeabilities ; improved ; Solid ; Phase ; Biochemical ; Evaluation ; insight ; Hypoxia ; Hypoxic ; Oxygen Deficiency ; Measurement ; Solid Neoplasm ; Solid Tumor ; Scanning ; Protocol ; Protocols documentation ; biocompatibility ; biomaterial compatibility ; Lytotoxicity ; cytotoxicity ; light scattering ; particle ; Performance ; water solubility ; Hydrophobicity ; hydrophilicity ; Animal Models and Related Studies ; model of animal ; model organism ; Animal Model ; novel ; chemotherapeutic agent ; Modeling ; response ; Molecular Interaction ; Binding ; image-based method ; imaging method ; imaging modality ; small molecule ; Address ; Resolution ; in vivo ; Cancer Center ; Small Business Innovation Research Grant ; SBIR ; Small Business Innovation Research ; Pathologic ; Modification ; Development ; developmental ; Image ; imaging ; pharmacokinetic model ; design ; designing ; tumor xenograft ; Biodistribution ; scale up ; cancer imaging ; oncologic imaging ; oncology imaging ; tumor imaging ; Imaging technology ; innovation ; innovate ; innovative ; commercialization ; tumor ; public health relevance ; Biological Markers ; bio-markers ; biologic marker ; biomarker ; photoacoustic imaging ; optoacoustic imaging ; radiation response ; irradiation response ; response to radiation ; quantitative imaging ; contrast enhanced ; temporal measurement ; temporal resolution ; time measurement ; predicting response ; prediction of response ; predictive response ; predictor of response ; response prediction ; optoacoustic tomography ; photoacoustic tomography ; clinical translation ; Injections ; multiplexed imaging ; pancreatic cancer model ; pancreatic PDX models ; pancreatic tumor model ;

Phase II

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Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
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