Abstract

Oxidative stress and metabolic alterations in cancer are associated with malignant transformation, disease aggressiveness and the evolution of drug resistance. However, the interplay between oxidative stress, blood oxygenation and hypoxia in cancer has yet to be fully understood. Despite the clear role of oxidative stress in disease, there are few clinical methods to image the spatial distribution of oxygen or redox state in patients. Profound discoveries in physics lie at the heart of medical imaging; techniques such as MRI and PET have revolutionised diagnostic medicine in the last 30 years. Our research program aims to develop and translate new technologies that exploit visible and near-infrared light for imaging of oxygen and oxidative stress in cancer. This either requires us to go directly to the site of interest through endoscopy or to enhance the depth of penetration of our approach using hybrid techniques such as optoacoustic imaging. Instrument development and technical validation are performed in our Physics laboratories, while biological validation is undertaken in our preclinical multimodality imaging facility using cancer models in living subjects and comparing to existing gold standards. Using these new imaging techniques, we aim to better understand the interplay between oxidative stress and hypoxia in cancer.