A new radioactive marker developed by Prof. Sharon Rothstein of Bar-Ilan University promises more accurate imaging of tumors — especially in areas with low oxygen levels — and may improve treatment and monitoring.
Medical imaging plays a crucial role in detecting cancer and monitoring its treatment. Common methods today include anatomical imaging tests, such as CT and MRI, which provide a detailed picture of the body's structure, and functional imaging tests, such as PET, which detect metabolic activity of cells. However, despite their effectiveness, these methods are still limited in their ability to provide accurate information about the nature and condition of the tumor.
Prof. Sharon Rothstein From the Department of Chemistry at Bar-Ilan University Researches and develops new imaging methods, with the aim of improving the ability to identify and characterize cancerous tumors. The main innovation in her research lies in the development of a copper-based radioactive marker, which offers significant advantages over existing markers by exploiting the unique properties of copper in cancer cells.
First, copper is particularly sensitive to oxygen levels in cells, allowing for the precise identification of hypoxic (low oxygen) areas in a tumor. This is critical information, as hypoxic areas tend to be more resistant to certain treatments and indicate tumor aggressiveness.
Second, cancer cells exhibit increased copper metabolism. The new marker takes advantage of this property to be more strongly absorbed by cancer cells, which improves the contrast between healthy and cancerous tissues.
The uniqueness of this marker is its dual mechanism: it undergoes a biological process of increased absorption and a chemical process of redox (redox) that depends on oxygen levels. This combination allows for a more accurate diagnosis of the tumor status. Furthermore, unlike other markers, the new marker provides comprehensive information about the microscopic environment of the tumor and gives a clear definition of the tumor boundaries. This data helps doctors make more informed decisions about the appropriate treatment, and monitor the effectiveness of the treatment more precisely.
Following these findings, Prof. Rothstein's lab is exploring directions for future applications, including adapting the copper marker for use in radiotherapy, and possibilities of combining the marker with liposomes and nanoparticles, with the aim of improving the detection of brain cancer. In addition, the possibility of combining the marker with antibodies is being explored, to further increase its efficiency and accuracy.
