Image guided cytoreduction of ovarian cancer
CCBIO Postdoc Katrin Kleinmanns, together with CCBIO PhD Katharina Bischoff and Researcher Vibeke Fosse, recently published 2 articles in EBioMedicine. Their work describing CD24-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), confirms an improvement of cytoreduction of ovarian cancer in PDX orthotopic surgical model with CD24-targeted NIR FIGS. The journal also features the 2 publications in their commentary.
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PhD projects
The project, financed by The MSCA-ITN programme (ispic.eu), CCBIO and innovation grants from Helse Vest RHF and Helse Bergen HF, has been part of the PhD works of Katrin Kleinmanns and Katharina Bischof.
“The cell surface antigen CD24, currently postulated in theranostic settings, meets the requirements of a specific imaging biomarker and therefore suggests to be an ideal target for our imaging approach,” Katrin says. “We want to develop our antibody-based fluorescence probe further into smaller targeting-moieties, as antibody fragments e.g. nanobodies, to meet enhanced pharmacokinetic characteristics. This can be tested in our palette of heterogenous orthotopic PDX models”, she remarks.
Improving survival
“The results are very encouraging,” said Medical director in Gynacological Oncology and CCBIO PI, Professor Line Bjørge. “The fluorochrome-marked probes for tumour tissue detection can be used intraoperatively in the treatment of most types of solid malignant tumors, and thus may be very useful tools to improve the degree of survival in patients with advanced cancer,” she concludes.
“The next step is to trial this technique in dogs with naturally occurring cancer, an ethically appealing model for many common human cancers” states Fosse - veterinarian with specialisation in surgical oncology.
The 2 articles and commentary (A “light” guide for surgery) appear in the May edition of the journal, with CCBIO PI Emmet McCormack as senior author.
The publications:
Kleinmanns K, Bischof K, Anandan S, Popa M, Akslen LA, Fosse V, Karlsen I, Gjertsen BT, Bjørge L, McCormack E. CD24-targeted fluorescence imaging in patient-derived xenograftmodels of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. EBioMedicine 2020.
Kleinmanns K, Fosse V, Davidson B, de Jalón EG, Tenstad O, Bjørge L, McCormack E. CD24-targeted intraoperative fluorescence image-guided surgery leads to improved cytoreduction of ovarian cancer in a preclinical orthotopic surgical model. EBio-Medicine 2020.
The commentary: Sato K. The "Light" Guide for Surgery. EBioMedicine 2020 Jun 4;56:102808.
