CANCER FUNCTIONAL IMAGING

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The overall goal of The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) Cancer Molecular and Functional Imaging (CMFI) Program is to integrate molecular and functional imaging with translational applications in cancer discovery, drug development and treatment. The CMFI Program has been a developing Program of the Comprehensive Center Support Grant at the SKCCC for five years and has grown from ten to 25 faculty members representing five departments of the School of Medicine. Faculty members hold appointments in four different graduate programs. Twenty faculty members have peer reviewed funding. A majority of the faculty is housed in the CRBI/II complex and the Program is home to roughly ten graduate students and 15 Postdoctoral fellows. The Program is supported by $9.2 million of NCI and other peer reviewed support. The Program contains four highly integrated themes: 1) cancer biology and discovery; 2) imaging probe development; 3) biomarkers and clinical evaluation of therapies; and 4) target delineation and drug delivery, which are highly interactive with disease-based Programs within the SKCCC. The central goal of the CMFI Program is to use molecular and functional imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A major goal of the clinical translational component involves the clinical evaluation of therapies and theranostic imaging. The Program has major interactions with the Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Neuro-oncology, and Hematologic Malignancy/BMT Programs. The total number of publications in the CMFI Program from 2006-2010 is 296 of which 92 (31%) are Intra-Programmatic and 63 (21%) are Inter- Programmatic. Lay: The Cancer Molecular and Functional Imaging Program integrates molecular and functional imaging into cancer research to inform discovery and translational applications into diagnosis, therapy and drug development. The CMFI Program contains four highly integrated themes: 1) cancer biology and discovery; 2) imaging probe development; 3) biomarkers and clinical evaluation of therapies; and 4) target delineation and drug delivery, which are highly interactive with disease-based Programs within the SKCCC.