Biomedical
ultrasound is widely used for diagnostic imaging (tumor detection,
cardiac abnormalities, etc), surgical guidance and therapy
(head and body cancer, muscle injury, etc). The Department
of Radiology at the University of Arizona is currently expanding
their ultrasound research program in the direction of novel
contrast mechanisms for ultrasound imaging and image-guided
high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for treatment of
a variety of medical disorders, such as breast cancer.
Dr.
Russell Witte and Dr. Terry Matsunaga have recently joined
the research section of the department to develop new technologies
that potentially translate to the clinical scene. Dr. Witte’s Experimental
Ultrasound and Neural Imaging Laboratory (EUNIL) exploits
a combination of sound, light, and radio frequency to develop
new tricks for enhancing ultrasound contrast. These contrast
mechanisms, including photoacoustics, ultrasound current
source density imaging (UCSDI) and muscle strain imaging
(MSI), potentially impact biomedical applications ranging
from interventional neurosurgery to muscle rehabilitation.
Dr. Matsunaga’s laboratory, on the other hand, develops
ultrasound contrast agents for imaging and novel delivery
systems for drug and gene therapy. Both Dr. Witte and Dr.
Matsunaga work closely with Dr. Evan Unger, the principal
architect of the vascular microbubble agent, Definity® ,
an FDA-approved echocardiographic contrast agent, and former
CEO of Imarx Therapeutics, Inc. Current research of Dr.
Unger, who also holds a position in the department, is
aimed at developing HIFU for cancer therapy and microbubbles
for treatment of stroke.
Research
Projects
- Prostate cancer
specific nanodroplets for use with FUS - Evan Unger
- Nanodroplets
targeted to angiogenesis - Evan Unger
- MRI guided HIFU
- Evan Unger
- Photoacoustic
Imaging - Russell
Witte
- Ultrasound Current
Source Density Imaging - Russell
Witte
- Muscle Strain
Imaging - Russell Witte
- Ultrasound-mediated
drug and gene delivery systems - Terry Matsunaga
- Nanodroplet emulsions
for ultrasound-mediated delivery - Terry Matsunaga
- Targeted drug
and gene delivery - Terry Matsunaga & Russell Witte
- Ultrasonic contrast
agents/bubbles - Terry Matsunaga & Russell Witte
Personnel
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