# RARE EARTH NANOPROBES FOR OPTICAL IMAGING AND DISEASE TRACKING

> **NIH NIH R01** · RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J. · 2022 · $668,896

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY:
 This R01 renewal proposal aims to advance the next generation of optical nanomaterial
probes for ultrasensitive detection of diseased lesions in vivo, with applications to fluorescence-
guided surgery (FGS). The emerging field of FGS currently lacks the pipeline of optical contrast
agents that can illuminate such deep-seated lesions to permit real-time detection and precise
excision by oncosurgeons.
 Our previous R01 project developed the first generation of lesion-targeted optical probes
based on rare-earth (RE)-doped nanocomposites that can delineate cancer lesions in vivo but
are not optimal for FGS applications. They have relatively high signal attenuation and require
near-infrared (NIR) light for excitation, whose shorter penetration depth limits the ability to
reach and detect deeper-seated lesions. Therefore, this R01 renewal application will focus on
continuing our advance by designing significantly brighter SWIR-emitting nanoprobes, while
broadening the context for SWIR imaging along two important pathways: First, we aspire to
develop a class of an order-of-magnitude brighter SWIR emitting nanocomposites that can be
excited using SWIR light, with the hypothesis that they can be excited using deeper-penetrating
IR light, which will open up applications in illuminating cancers around deeper-seated
retroperitoneal nodes (Aim 1A) and precisely target these to cancer-lesions in the surgical bed
(Aim 1B). Secondly, we aim to develop a live-subject SWIR imaging platform that can guide
precision detection of small cancer clusters in vivo (Aim 2A) and molecularly map the surgical
bed to demarcate anatomical landmarks of tumor lesions, lymph nodes and para-aortic vessel
endothelium (Aim 2A). We will extend this live-subject imaging platform to guide complete
excision and demonstrate superior excision outcomes relative to those guided by existing
fluorophores and our first generation NIR excitable RE nanoprobes (Aim 2B). The outcomes of
Aim 2 will be demonstrated using an ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis and debulking model.
The overall impact of this project will be on the design of a surveillance nanotechnology based
on a new class of contrast agents that can be integrated within a short wave infrared-light
imaging platform technology for fluorescence-surgery guidance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10163185
- **Project number:** 5R01EB018378-08
- **Recipient organization:** RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIV OF N.J.
- **Principal Investigator:** Vidya Ganapathy
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $668,896
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-04-15 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10163185

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10163185, RARE EARTH NANOPROBES FOR OPTICAL IMAGING AND DISEASE TRACKING (5R01EB018378-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10163185. Licensed CC0.

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