Network for Translational Research: Optical Imaging

Website: http://imaging.cancer.gov/programsandresources/specializedinitiatives/ntroi

Contact:
Houston Baker, Ph.D.
301-594-9117, bakerhou@mail.nih.gov

The Network for Translational Research in Optical Imaging (NTROI) was implemented in September 2003 as a demonstration project to show that technological innovations developed under CIP grants could benefit from coordinated attention to the processes of validation and translation toward clinical use. The intent of this program is to address the fact that too many medical inventions fail to progress beyond prototypes. The area of optical imaging and spectroscopy was chosen for the pilot effort because this technology has recently generated multiple new imaging and spectroscopic modes. The use of non-ionizing radiation offers a huge capacity to capture in vivo information on the status of tissue and cellular physiology and pathology (molecular imaging). Multiple technologies in the area are approaching or at the threshold of clinical translation.

The NTROI network develops consensus processes for translational research in optical imaging, including optimizing emerging optical imaging systems, targeted or activatible probes, and methods for validation. Long-term goals of the program include development and delivery of common or similar platforms for measuring and extracting quantitative signatures from endogenous molecules or molecular probes that are cancer-specific. Use of combined signatures will improve sensitivity and specificity, particularly for early cancer detection, cancer diagnosis, treatment, and measurement of response to therapy.

A Network Steering Committee (SC) of team principal investigators and key co-investigators also includes scientific observers from the Food and Drug Administration, National Science Foundation, and National Institute of Standards and Technology to encourage a more seamless and timely process for regulatory approval of optical imaging methods.

Optical molecular imaging is one of the fastest growing imaging modalities for cancer research. Establishing the network during the early phase of technology development will bring the different communities together to accelerate translation toward delivery of these technologies. The request for applications (RFA) published in August 2002 yielded 17 applications, with total collaborating investigators exceeding 700, and resulted in four funded U54 Cooperative Agreements—Specialized Research Resource Centers.