Evaluating new therapies in GIST using in vivo molecular imaging

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Evaluating new therapies in GIST using in vivo
molecular imaging

• Lori Rink, Ph.D
• Fox Chase Cancer Center

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Molecular imaging and personalized medicine

• Genome and expression analyses will identify
  molecules and pathways activated in individual
  cancers
• Opportunity for individually tailored therapy
• Plethora of available agents need for
  prioritization
• Biological therapies frequently less toxic
  tumors may not shrink
• Resistance via target mutation or compensatory
  pathway activation
• Need for imaging modalities to detect
  biological/functional response
• CT
• MRI
• PET
• Can molecular imaging be used for rapid
  assessment of drug efficacy?
• Individualization of therapy, dose and/or
  schedule
• Combination of targeted therapeutic agents

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In vivo near infrared fluorescent (NIRF)
molecular imaging

• Reduced light absorption by abundant molecules
  (e.g., hemoglobin)
• Reduced autofluorescence
• Probes - maximum light penetration and high
  sensitivity
• Quantitative
• Detect biological activities/molecular targets
• Limited tissue penetration

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Fluorescent molecular tomographyFMT

• FMT2500 VisEn Medical
• 3D quantitative measurements of probe activation
  and/or retention
• Provides non-invasive, whole body, deep
  tissue imaging in small
• animal models to generate 3D,
  information-rich results.
• Functional imaging of biological and
  physiological changes
• Biological targets and pathways can be
  monitored and quantified in
• real time - giving a deeper understanding
  of the biology underlying
• disease mechanisms and therapeutic
  response.

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Evaluating novel therapeutics using in vivo
molecular imaging
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Acknowledgements

• von Mehren Group
• Margaret von Mehren, M.D
• Martin Belinsky, Ph.D.
• Alexis Cordero, B.S.

• Collaborators
• Andrew K. Godwin, Ph.D
• Harvey Hensley, Ph.D
• Denise Connolly, Ph.D

• Support
• National Cancer Institute
• GIST Cancer Research Fund
• (Tania Stutman)
• NIH institutional training
• grant (LR)
• Merck

• FCCC Facilities
• Laboratory Animal Facility
• Small Animal Imaging Facility