NIH grant: Novel NIR probes for multiplexed imaging of cancer (1R15EB038727-01)

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NIH grant 1R15EB038727-01: Novel NIR probes for multiplexed imaging of cancer
Institute: {'code': 'EB', 'abbreviation': 'NIBIB', 'name': 'National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering', 'admin_org_id': '12500035', 'admin_funding_url': ''}. PI: Alexey  Krasnoslobodtsev. Award: $572947.
Start: 2026-07-17T00:00:00.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Ovarian cancer, particularly aggressive epithelial tumors, remains a major health threat with ~46% overall
survival rates. Early detection greatly improves the five-year survival to 94%. In advanced stages, cytoreductive
procedures become critical and require precise tumor visualization for diagnosis and surgical guidance.
Conventional imaging methods like CT, MRI, and ultrasound lack real-time precision, especially in detecting
small peritoneal nodules, forcing surgeons to rely on visual inspection and palpation without real-time
guidance. Bioimaging plays a critical role in diagnosing ovarian cancer, guiding cytoreductive surgical
interventions, and evaluating treatment efficacy. While minimally invasive fluorescence bioimaging holds great
potential, its clinical adoption is limited by a shortage of effective imaging agents. Thus, there is an urgent
need for improved diagnostic tools and enhanced surgical techniques. This Academic Research
Enhancement Award (AREA) R15 proposal aims to develop near-infrared (NIR) probes for early detection
of ovarian cancer and image-guided cytoreductive surgery. Specifically, we will create a user-friendly,
modular toolkit for highly emissive and stable NIR probes based on DNA-templated silver nanoclusters
(DNA-AgNCs) optimized for ovarian cancer imaging. DNA-AgNCs offer superior stability, high quantum
yields, and low toxicity compared to conventional organic and inorganic probes. Our preliminary results
indicate that stable NIR-emitting DNA-AgNCs can be reproducibly engineered using specific DNA sequences,
with emission wavelengths tunable via ligand interactions and redox state modulation. Also, our
interdisciplinary research team has demonstrated that programmable nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs)
can stabilize AgNCs and, when decorated with targeting moieties, can specifically bind cancer cells. TBy
elucidating the design principles of DNA-AgNCs, this research will unlock the full potential of NIR optical
imaging, advancing both image-guided surgery and early ovarian cancer detection. Furthermore, this AREA
award will expand undergraduate research opportunities, providing hands-on training and enhancing student
preparedness for careers in the biomedical field.

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