Light-guided cancer surgery has been developed for some time with varying degrees of success, from phototherapy to glow-in-the-dark tumors to the development of compounds that can illuminate tumors.
Scientists now believe they have developed a new technique for molecular imaging that sees tumors illuminated with short-wave infrared light in enough detail to allow surgeons to distinguish cancerous tumors from healthy tissue.
Researchers at the Wellcome/EPSRC Center for Interventional and Surgical Sciences (WEISS) at University College London and surgeons at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) found that chemicals injected during surgery acted like probes to target cancer cells. developed a technique to see it adhere to When they attach, they glow with fluorescence, illuminating the tumor as well. The mouse model in this study revealed a portion of the tumor that was not resected by routine surgery.
The team focused this technology on combating neuroblastoma, the most common type of childhood solid tumor cancer after brain tumors. Treatment traditionally involves surgery to remove the malignant tumor, a process that can easily damage surrounding healthy tissue.
Dr. Stefano Giuliani, consultant pediatric surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital and associate professor at UCL, said: “If too little is removed, the tumor may recur, but if too much is removed, the surgeon risks damaging surrounding blood vessels, nerves and other healthy organs. to enable surgeons to resect tumors with unprecedented precision.We will bring this innovative technology into clinical practice at GOSH as soon as possible to benefit many children with cancerous tumors. I hope that I will be able to.”
The team used short-wave infrared (SWIR) light, which is invisible to the naked eye but has longer wavelengths than visible light and can penetrate deeper into tissue for more detailed imaging.
WEISS’ Dr. Dale Waterhouse said:
This development is expected to significantly improve surgical outcomes for children with neuroblastoma, which accounts for up to 10% of all childhood cancers and 15% of childhood cancer deaths. About one-third of patients have already spread the tumor by the time of diagnosis. The team hopes the technology will help localize any cancerous tumors that are present.
GOSH’s Dr. Laura Privitera said: “Using targeted fluorescence-guided surgery, we demonstrate the potential to safely and specifically delineate tumor margins and enable their differentiation from surrounding healthy tissue. Fluorescence-guided surgery” is a breakthrough innovation that helps surgeons perform safer, more complete resections.”
A mouse model was used in clinical trials, but the team is confident they can deploy the technique for pediatric surgery later this year.
The study was published in a journal cancer research.
Source: University College London (via EurekAlert)
