SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16
5:00pm - 6:00pm Early Conference Registration
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17
7:45am Registration and Morning Coffee
Clinical Applications
8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
8:35 Cellular MRI and the Translation from Bench to Bedside
Joseph Frank, M.S. M.D., Chief Experimental Neuroimaging Section, Laboratory of Diagnostic Radiology Research, NIH
Magnetic labeling of stem cells provides the ability to monitor their temporal spatial migration in vivo MRI. Labeling cells with superparamagnetic nanoparticles provides investigators with the ability to track cells to target tissues. I will discuss and present experimental studies using cellular MRI to track stem cells and genetically engineered cells into target tissues as well as present data on how often endogenous label transfers to tissue macrophages. In addition, I will discus the potential hurdles and use of noninvasive imaging in monitoring both experimental and clinical cell therapy trials.
9:05 Tracking Immune Cell Migration by MRI: A New Non-invasive Approach to Detect Organ Rejection
Chien Ho, M.D., Alumni Professor of Biological Sciences and Director, Pittsburgh NMR Center for Biomedical Research, Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
9:35 Imaging the Brain: Molecules to Biomarkers to Diagnostics
J. James Frost, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Diagnostic Radiology, Adjunct, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and President, Biomarker and Molecular Imaging Solutions, LLC
The evolution of molecular imaging in the brain will be traced from the study of CNS disease mechanisms to the development and validation of in vivo biomarkers for advancing drug discovery and development. The impact of these studies on the development of new CNS molecular diagnostics will be addressed. Examples will be presented that demonstrate how molecular imaging, when combined with traditional clinical and behavioral endpoints, can generate new diagnostic approaches that will eventually couple to individualized treatment.
10:05 Networking Coffee Break in the Exhibit Hall
10:45 Tumor Specific Delivery of Contrast Agents: Changing the Paradigm of Imaging for Metastatic Cancers
Kathleen Pirollo, Ph.D., Research Professor Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
We have developed a nanosized transferrin receptor targeted immunoliposome complex (scL) for delivery of imaging agents [gad-d- or superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)] specifically to tumor cells, both primary and metastatic, which significantly increases the sensitivity and accuracy of tumor detection. The scL-gad-d (and not free gad-d) was able to enhance and identify lung metastases in mice as small as 1-4 pixels (0.1-0.4mm), a size at least 5 times smaller than possible with current technology. In addition, the contrast agent accumulates inside the cell when administered by means of this complex increasing internal definition of the tumor not seen with free contrast agent. Encapsulation of SPIO within the tumor-targeting complex broadens the potential use of this MR agent for cancer detection. Thus, the use of our tumor- specific nanocomplexed imaging agents to more accurately identify small, early stage malignant lesions will have a major impact on cancer detection, diagnosis and survival.
11:15 Sponsored by 
Molecular Imaging in Drug Development Using High Resolution NanoSPECT/CT
Jeffrey P. Norenberg, PharmD, Associate Professor, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
In Vivo imaging of biomarkers can dramatically increase the efficiency of the drug development process. These biomarkers can be used to characterize target engagement as well as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics modeling in both pre-clinical and clinical studies. The translation of pre-clinical results to clinical endpoints remains a challenge in drug development.
11:45 Panel Discussion: Biomarker Imaging
12:15pm Lunch on Your Own or Luncheon Workshop
(sponsorship available)
1:40 Chairperson’s Remarks
1:45 Cellular and Molecular MRI of Stem Cell Survival
Phillips Yang, M.D., Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University
2:15 Advances in Imaging Adoptive Cell Transfer Cancer Immunotherapies
Caius G. Radu, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging
Novel cell-based immunotherapies have enabled long lasting objective clinical responses in a significant proportion of patients with metastatic melanoma and are currently evaluated for other cancers. Treatment efficacy and availability could be further improved by ex vivo genetic modifications of T cells allowing generation of large numbers of lymphocytes with enhanced anti-tumor function. The development of such cell-based therapies is critically dependent on the availability of detection tools to monitor the engraftment, persistence and homing of anti-tumor T cells following transplantation. In this presentation, I will review the current technical ability for Positron Emission Tomography imaging of T cell-based therapies in cancer, its limitations and future challenges.
2:45 Radiotracer Quantum Dots: A Novel Approach to Multi-Modal Molecular Imaging
Jamal Zweit, PhD, DSc, Professor of Radiology, Director, Center for Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology
School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
3:15 Networking Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:00 Translational Imaging in Drug Development
Onikepe Adegbola, M.D., Ph.D., Deputy Director, US Medical Affairs Diagnostic Imaging, Bayer HealthCare PharmaceuticalsImaging biomarkers can assist with making go-/no-go decisions in Phase I/II drug development. An integrated program of preclinical and clinical imaging during the drug development process can facilitate this goal. However, there are important challenges in translational imaging. This talk will discuss important considerations in translating preclinical imaging to the clinical arena so as to assist in making go-no go decisions in the early development of targeted therapies.
4:30 SPECT/CT:Tc-99m ECG, an Alternative to PET/CT:F-18DG for Diagnosing and Staging Applications In Oncology
F. David Rollo M.D., Ph.D., President, Cell>Point
The application of PET/CT:F-18 DG for diagnosing and staging patients with a diagnosis of cancer has been reported to result in a change in both the staging of cancer and the most appropriate therapy up to 40% of the time. Unfortunately, PET/CT systems and the availability of F-18 are limited geographically in the U.S,. As a result it is estimated that fewer than 20% of the oncology patients that might benefit from more accurate staging and therapy decisions are denied this opportunity. Alternatively, Tc-99m ECG will be available to perform staging to improve therapy decisions in all geographical regions since it is available in 98% of the hospitals in the U.S.. Further, it has been shown the sensitivity of Tc-99m ECG is comparable to that of F-18 DG for diagnosing the presence and extent of cancer and is more specific than F-18 DG since the agent does not localize in infection or inflammation which is the case for F-18 DG.
5:00 Happy Hour in the Exhibit Hall
6:15 End of Day One
Day 2