2019 Nobel prize in medicine for the discovery of oxygen signaling pathways highlights the importance of oxygenation as a physiologic parameter. Oxygenation plays a key role in cancer development and may affect its aggressiveness. Tumors have a highly heterogeneous oxygen environment which affects the outcome of chemo- and radiation treatment. Hypoxia, or low oxygenation, is an obstacle to successful cancer treatment. The accurate measurement of tissue oxygenation is necessary for oxygen guided radiation therapy (OGRT) that reduces the overall radiation dose. However, currently, clinicians do not have access to a quantitative oxygen imager that can be utilized for cancer treatment. In this Phase I proposal, we will develop a human-size oxygen imaging instrument based on electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen imaging principles. The instrument will be tested with phantoms and a pilot rabbit study for its ability to provide 3D oxygen maps of a leg born VX-2 tumor. The success of this project will bring a translational technology from preclinical research to the clinical domain with a new product in the market, CAELI-9.
