THUNDER BAY — A team of local researchers aims to develop a new diagnostic imaging agent to help improve the diagnosis and management of cancer.
The Canada Foundation for Innovation is supporting the Lakehead University/Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute team with a grant of nearly $100,000.
Dr. Jinquiang Hou, an assistant professor of chemistry at Lakehead and a research chair at the institute, says an effective diagnostic method will enhance the quality of life for many patients while reducing health-care costs.
"Our research aims to design and prepare novel diagnostic imaging agents that could potentially improve prevention, early diagnostic and management of cancer," Hou said.
A biopsy is the only way to diagnose most types of cancer with any level of certainty, but getting a tissue sample is an invasive process.
Dr. Hou and his team are working with a non-invasive detection method known as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging.
"By developing an imaging agent that targets receptors on the surface of cells that are highly expressed in many cancers, our research has the potential to develop the next generation of accurate cancer diagnostics," he said.
The grant will be used to purchase equipment which will improve productivity and speed up the research process.
Hou is working with Dr. Michael Campbell, an assistant professor of chemistry at Lakehead and a research chair at the health research insstitute, and with Dr. Justin Jiang, a professor in chemistry.
