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The Network for Translational Research: Optical Imaging (NTROI)
Request for Applications was structured to support three or more multi-site teams that would include broad national and international representation from academia, NIH intramural, and device and drug industry investigators. The Network develops consensus processes for translational research, including optimizing emerging optical imaging systems, targeted or activatible probes, and validations. Long-term goals 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 transparent and timely process for regulatory approval of optical imaging methods.
The response to this published RFA was much greater than our early expectations. Optical and optical molecular imaging is the fastest growing imaging modality for cancer research. The timing of this network is therefore critical, best exercised during this early phase of development to bring the different communities together to accelerate delivery of these technologies. It is a timely model for leveraging investigator initiated funded projects that support the technology platforms.
This network's organizational structure with its Steering Committee provides a good model and a timely opportunity to explore public-private partnerships through the Foundation of NIH. Industry has already indicated significant interest in this network.
Several of the device and drug industries on the teams have developed Intellectual Property (IP) agreements with academia in advance of review, suggesting that validation methodology does not pose significant IP barriers, normally a problem for private-public partnerships for inventions.
NTROI Funded Projects
University of California, Irvine
Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D. (tromberg@laser.bli.uci.edu)
Breast Cancer Multi-Dimensional Diffuse Optical Imaging
Boston University
Irving Bigio, Ph.D. (bigio@bu.edu)
Optical Spectroscopy for Management of Cancer Treatment
University of Pennsylvania
Wafik El-Deiry, M.D., Ph.D. (wafik@mail.med.upenn.edu)
Network for Translational Research: Optical Imaging
Stanford University
Christopher Contag, Ph.D. (ccontag@cmgm.stanford.edu)
Detection of Neoplasia in the Esophagus
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