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Ultrasound Imaging and Therapeutics Research Laboratory

Activatable Imaging Biomarkers to Noninvasively Monitor Tumor Responses Upon Cancer Immunotherapies

Researcher: Myeongsoo Kim

Fig 1The introduction of cancer immunotherapies has revolutionized cancer treatment, yielding transformative outcomes for patients across a variety of tumors. These therapies function by administering antibodies/patient’s own T lymphocytes to drive antitumor activity. Currently, assessment of therapeutic efficacy relies on quantifying biomarkers, such as levels of immune cell activation–associated cytokines, in peripheral blood or tumor samples. However, these approaches may not accurately capture therapeutic responses due to biopsy sampling heterogeneity, variability in longitudinal monitoring, limited sample sizes, and the invasive nature of repeated biopsies. Moreover, tumors treated with immunotherapy frequently exhibit atypical or inconsistent response patterns, which can be misinterpreted as disease progression.

To address these challenges, identifying predictive biomarkers that objectively assess immune responses with tumor anatomy has emerged as a critical clinical goal. To this end, in conjunction with ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging, we are developing activity nanosensor platforms that actuate in the tumor microenvironment, where host immune cells mediate cancer cell death, thus serving as activatable imaging biomarkers. These nanosensors thus enable noninvasive, real-time monitoring of antitumor activity of endogenous immune cells throughout the course of treatment via US/PA imaging, assessing therapeutic responses. Moreover, we aim to design the nanosensor platform for predicting therapeutic efficacy earlier than is currently possible, providing a tool for guiding cancer immunotherapy.

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