# Paired-agent imaging for resection during surgery (PAIRS) for head & neck cancers

> **NIH NIH R37** · DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK CLINIC · 2020 · $412,280

## Abstract

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ABSTRACT
Detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) at or close to surgical margins increases the
risk of death at 5-years by 90%. However, large surgical margins to ensure clear margins can greatly increase
a patient's morbidity with functional and cosmetic damage of oral and facial structures. Although promising,
single fluorescence agents targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are qualitative at best, have
moderate tumor-to-normal tissue contrast, and have not yet demonstrated long-term improved patient
outcomes. Our recently developed in vivo paired-agent imaging method allows quantification of extracellular
receptor expression (and identification of cancerous tissue) by utilizing simultaneously delivered targeted and
non-targeted (i.e., perfusion) agents to reference the plasma delivery and leakage. The ability to eliminate the
non-binding fluorescence contribution in the tumor and surrounding normal tissues increases the observed
tumor-to-normal tissue contrast and improves our ability to observe microscopic tissue burden. The central
HYPOTHESIS is that EGFR targeted Paired-Agent Imaging for Resection During Surgery (PAIRS) will improve
HNSCC patient long-term survival and decrease morbidity. The ultimate RESEARCH GOAL is to demonstrate
that PAIRS outperforms both traditional (non-guided) and single, fluorescent-agent guided surgical resection in
detecting microscopic tumor in surgical margins of a spontaneous HNSCC patient-surrogate model.
Clinical translation of PAIRS will be fully realized by completion of the outlined SPECIFIC AIMS:
Aim 1 - Develop clinic-ready integrated FGS system for HNSCC PAIRS under operating room lights;
Aim 2 - Optimize the PAIRS model in HNSCC tumors and derive clinical imaging parameters; and
Aim 3 - Validate the clinical viability of PAIRS in both murine xenografts and spontaneous, volunteer dog
 model as compared to traditional and single, fluorescent-agent guided surgical resection.
The translational INNOVATION will include production of a fully integrated PAIRS system, and a robust set of
clinical imaging parameters. To expedite clinical translation of PAIRS, we will leverage two fluorescent agents
currently being used in clinical trials: ABY-029 (a fluorescent anti-EGFR Affibody® molecule) and IRDye
700DX. In addition, the clinical SIGNIFICANCE of PAIRS to reduce morbidity and increase survival will have
been demonstrated in both the controlled environment of murine xenografts as well as the high variability of
spontaneous veterinary cancers in dogs. As a translational biophysical chemist, I have lead the development of
the paired-agent model as a tissue identifying technique and have assembled a strong team of notable cancer
and clinical imaging researchers.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9831056
- **Project number:** 5R37CA212187-04
- **Recipient organization:** DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK CLINIC
- **Principal Investigator:** Kimberley Samkoe
- **Activity code:** R37 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $412,280
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-12-04 → 2020-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9831056

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9831056, Paired-agent imaging for resection during surgery (PAIRS) for head & neck cancers (5R37CA212187-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9831056. Licensed CC0.

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