Texas Tech University’s Dr. Indrajit Srivastava is working to develop new imaging technology that will enable surgeons to more precisely visualize and remove tumors during surgery.
“The process for identifying tumors during diagnosis and in preparation for surgery can take several weeks, utilizing strategies like MRI, CT and PET scans,” says Dr. Srivastava. “Because of the complexity of tumor removal, it’s also critical to have a clear, real-time view of tumor boundaries during surgery.”
Srivastava’s research shows promise for significant advances over existing fluorescence-guided tumor removal. With fluorescence-guided technology, imaging dye is administered and accumulates in or binds to tumor tissues, becoming visible with a laser or light source. There are a couple of limitations to this method: the light must be continuously applied to make the tumor visible, but over time the light causes photobleaching, meaning the fluorescence signal of the dye fades the longer it is under the light. The fluorescent dye can also be absorbed by surrounding healthy tissue, making it more challenging to only remove the tumor. In addition, the conventional fluorescence imaging has limited penetration through deep tissue, which limits its usefulness in situations where a tumor is buried under other healthy tissues.
Dr. Indrajit Srivastava has been awarded a two-year $250,000 research grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to create technology that overcomes these limitations.
“When you are developing a new technology to create a solution that solves a problem, it is crucial to generate support from others working to find solutions,” says Srivastava. “I’m grateful to CPRIT for funding this work and excited about its potential to improve surgical precision and patient outcomes.”
This CPRIT Award will build on Srivastava’s prior research that explored the effectiveness of afterglow imaging technology in atherosclerosis plaques, which is designed to address several of these limitations.
After initial illumination by the near-infrared laser, which can be for as little as a few seconds, the “afterglow” effect can last for 20 or more minutes. As surgery progresses, the light can be re-applied for a few seconds to recharge the probe. Srivastava compares how this technology works with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
This recharging process can be repeated several times, significantly extending the surgical time available. In addition, the afterglow probe is designed to preferentially accumulate in tumor tissues and improve tumor-to-normal tissue contrast, which makes it easier for surgeons to differentiate between healthy tissue and the tumor.
With this CPRIT study, Srivastava will develop albumin-complexed cyanine nanoflourophores solution for real-time, near-infrared image-guided tumor removal. Using mice and tissue-mimicking phantom models of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer, the project will evaluate the nanoscale probes for brightness, signal persistence, tissue penetration and ability to distinguish tumors from surrounding healthy tissue.
The long-term goal for this CPRIT High Impact/High Risk Award is to help surgeons identify tumor margins more accurately, reduce cancerous tissue not removed, and improve patient outcomes.
Srivastava, a mechanical engineering professor in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, will lead the project in collaboration with Ulrich Bickel and Basem Soliman of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, who will serve as consultants and Syed Muhammad Usama of The University of Texas at San Antonio, who will serve as a collaborator.