AdMeTech has had a series of Brain Trust Meetings in prostate MRI in 2007 and 2008, followed by the Consensus Conference in January 2009. As the result of these meetings, prostate MRI was identified as the most promising and mature experimental imaging tool for prostate cancer, and AdMeTech funded the International Prostate MRI Working Group. The goal of this research program is to develop and implement a short-and long-term research strategy and to expedite development and testing of prostate MRI, which has been shown in preliminary studies in the US and Europe to improve detection, staging and treatment of prostate cancer. This program supports critical, potentially breakthrough areas of research in MRI and molecular imaging conducted at the Harvard Medical School, University of Nijmegen in Holland, University of Chicago, Institute for Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital in the United Kingdom, UCSF, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions.

International Prostate MRI Working Group

The proposed study represents a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research program devoted to the facilitated advancement of prostate MRI and designed based on the Brain Trust meetings held in February 2007, July, 2007, May 2008, and January 2009. This work continues and expands a research program devoted to Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer (DAMD 17-03-2-0055) created, coordinated, and managed by AdMeTech Foundation, with the following primary objectives:

1) To establish an International Prostate MRI Working Group that will accomplish the following goals:

a. Expedite development and testing of MRI/MRS, currently considered the most promising clinical imaging technology for prostate cancer for diagnosis and assessment of treatment; and
b. Develop near- and long-term research strategy for facilitated advancement of prostate MRI/MRS. This will include development of technical specifications, standards, and quality control for clinical testing.

2) To continue expansion of a multi-disciplinary ongoing consortium/Brain Trust on Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer for strategic planning to stimulate novel ideas and to expedite fundamental discovery, feasibility studies and technologic innovation for the imaging modalities beyond MRI.

3) To continue research dedicated to the development AND testing of promising PSMA-based molecular imaging agent for improved early detection, assessment of aggressiveness, and guidance of treatment.

Research/Subcontracts

Multiparametric MR Imaging of Prostate Cancer at 3 Tesla Clinical MR Scanner. Principal Investigators: Amita Dave, PhD and Hedvig Hricak, MD PhD,Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Improvement of the Accuracy of Detection and Assessment of Prostate Cancer Using Multi-Functional MRI. Principal Investigator: Martin Leach, PhD, Royal Marsden Hospital, United Kingdom

Advancement of Quantitative T2 Relaxation Imaging and High Spatial Resolution 3D Imaging for Improved Tissue Characterization and Localization of Prostate Cancer for Image-Guided Therapy. Principal Investigator: Robert Mulkern, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Detection of Local Recurrence with Multiparametric MRI in Prostate Cancer Patients: a Pilot Study. Principal Investigator: Jurgen Futterer, MD, Nijmegen, Holland

Molecular Imaging of Prostate Cancer: MRI Prediction of Disease Progression in Patients Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and Managed with Active Surveillance. Principal Investigator: John Kurhanewicz, PhD, University of California, San Francisco

Multi-parametric Prostate MR Image Analysis. Principal Investigator: Clare Tempany, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Ex-Vivo MRI Microscopy of Prostate Cancer at 9.4T. Principal Investigator: Dr. Aytekin Oto, University of Chicago.

Molecular imaging of prostate cancer using GCPII-based Inhibitors. Principal Investigator: Martin Pomper. Johns Hopkins Medical School