Objectif
Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer disease for men. The choice of treatment and its efficiency relies strongly on the stage in which the cancer is when diagnosed. Screening procedures like digital rectal examination (DRE) and free prostate specific antigene (PSA) level testing are well established but lack accuracy, yielding only 80% of prostate cancers diagnosed in an early state.
The objective of ADONIS is the proof of concept of using optoacoustic imaging in combination with biologically functionalized nanoparticles as an integrated biosensor based system for accurate diagnosis of prostate cancer.
The idea behind ADONIS is to combine the superb biosensor selectivity of immunogold labelling with the peculiar optical properties of gold nanoparticles. It was recently shown that gold nanoparticles have very strong surface plasmon absorption of light that is sensitive to their shape and dimensions. The absorption of light from these localized absorption centers generates pressure waves, which propagate through the tissue to be detected and analyzed with techniques similar to conventional ultrasonic imaging. Exploiting this effect in combination with the possibilities of biological targetting of nanoparticles using a tumour marker like prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), the expected result is a new concept for biosensor based diagnosis of prostate cancer which will allow the development of overall accessible, cost-efficient medical instruments for accurate diagnosis.
Champ scientifique
Mots‑clés
Appel à propositions
FP6-2004-IST-NMP-2
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Régime de financement
STREP - Specific Targeted Research ProjectCoordinateur
MUNCHEN
Allemagne