We are very pleased to share our August 2022 Research Notes with some of our latest pre-clinical scientific updates! Research Notes | August 2022 |
A Message From Our VP of Research &
Pre-Clinical Development |
It’s amazing to reflect on how far we’ve come in the four years I’ve been with Imagion Bio. Having started with the basic proof-of-principle of using targeted nanoparticles to detect cancers, we are now testing our first product in human breast cancer patients and seeing real-world results. As head of our pre-clinical R&D efforts, it’s exciting to lead a team that is involved in many areas of physics, chemistry, and biology. The first couple of years were solely focused on developing the MagSense® HER2 breast cancer imaging agent so it is gratifying to now be able to leverage that experience and success to broaden our product pipeline. Recent advances include new approaches in chemistry that are now allowing us to expand the types of molecules that can be used for targeting various diseases, including, for example, prostate cancer, and possibly support drug delivery by carrying therapeutic payloads. It’s been both exciting and rewarding to be part of this journey, developing a new generation of molecular imaging technologies. |
Imagion's Collaboration with Patrys Expands with University of Sydney |
In June, Imagion expanded its collaboration with Patrys Limited (ASX: PAB) to include researchers at the University of Sydney who have developed patient-derived tumor models for Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. The project will use the University of Sydney’s preclinical models to test Imagion’s functionalized iron-oxide nanoparticles for the imaging of infiltrative GBM brain tumors. “Brain cancer is notoriously difficult to treat because we can never see all of the tumor. We’ll be working with Imagion, Patrys and their targeted nanoparticle platform to make otherwise invisible tumor light up in an MRI scanner,” said David Waddington, leader of the collaboration and Early Career Fellow at the Cancer Institute of NSW. |
Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents (GBCAs) are the primary contrast media products approved for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, GBCAs are often avoided for certain categories of patients due risk of adverse effects. The safety profile of iron oxide nanoparticles has made them an attractive alternative in research, as illustrated here, but none are currently commercially available as a general contrast agent. Unlike our MagSense® imaging agents that use antibodies or other ligands to specifically target binding of the magnetic nanoparticles to diseased tissue, an iron oxide nanoparticle for vascular imaging, for example, would be a non-targeted nanoparticle with properties providing for it to remain in circulation to enhance the visualization of arterial and venous blood flow which is important in diagnosing and treating certain cardiovascular diseases. |
Our Sponsored Research Agreement with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) aims to investigate the potential for Imagion’s iron oxide nanoparticle technology to be used in conjunction with conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Dr. Matt Rosen, the Principal Investigator of this new Sponsored Research Agreement, has previously published results demonstrating Imagion’s iron oxide nanoparticles produced high-contrast images with ultra-low field MRI. |
Collaboration Paper with MD Anderson: Simplified method to produce drug-carrying nanoparticles for cancer treatment |
Collaborating scientists at MD Anderson Cancer Center, with support from Imagion Biosystems, Inc, have recently published a paper describing use of our iron oxide nanoparticles in a new drug-carrying lipid nanoparticle for treating cancer.
|
Historically, construction of such drug-carrying lipid nanoparticles often involves multiple steps. The simplified method developed by the MD Anderson scientists is described in the paper as a one-pot one-step synthesis to produce drug-carrying, antibody-targeted, iron-oxide containing lipid-based aggregates.
The scientists also showed that when loaded with a chemotherapeutic agent, the aggregates delivered their toxic payload to cancer cells more efficiently when a magnetic field was applied.” |
Summer Research Internship Underway |
Imagion Bio is committed to supporting students with growth opportunities and career development. This summer we’ve brought on research intern, Olivia Havluciyan, an undergraduate studying bioengineering. Olivia’s internship is focused on supporting the production of our nanoparticles. |
Olivia’s education is focused on Biotech and Engineering and her goal is to gain more experience in working in an industry lab setting. She has already learned many new skills during her time here and we are happy to support her and glad to have her as part of our team! |
Monash Researcher Wins Best Poster Presentation Using Imagion's Nanoparticles |
Congratulations to Monash University researcher, Jurie Tashkandi, for recently winning the ACSNano Best 3MT Poster Presentation award at the International NanoMedicine Conference in Sydney in June, showing results of Imagion Biosystems’ nanoparticles in MPI. A copy of the poster, “Magnetic Particle Imaging using Trastuzumab Targeted Nanoparticles for Cancer Imaging," will be made public at a following date. Please stay tuned for more information. |
Copyright © 2022 Imagion Biosystems, All rights reserved.
You're receiving this email because you have requested information about Imagion Biosystems. |
|
 |
