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PhD ceremony Ms. M. van Oosten: Fluorescence targeted imaging of cancer and bacterial infections

When:We 12-02-2014 at 12:45
Where:Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

PhD ceremony: Ms. M. van Oosten

Dissertation: Fluorescence targeted imaging of cancer and bacterial infections

Promotor(s): prof. J.M. van Dijl, prof. G.M. van Dam, prof. T. Wiggers

Faculty: Medical Sciences

In the field of surgery, many different imaging modalities are used, both for diagnostic purposes before and after surgery, and for guided imaging during surgery. Examples of frequently used imaging modalities in the clinic are standard X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and ultrasound. Although these imaging modalities are highly advanced, they are in general not specific. As a consequence, it is often challenging to discriminate bacterial infections or cancer from healthy tissues. This thesis describes the development of specific bacterial infection- or cancer-targeted imaging techniques to discriminate these pathologies from other processes. The emphasis is focused on targeted fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence imaging is particularly suited for surface imaging and is very useful to provide the surgeon with additional “live” information during surgery. This thesis discusses different possibilities for targeted imaging in bacterial infections and cancer, and the application of different targeted fluorescent probes is demonstrated with the help of animal models. Finally, it is shown that targeted fluorescence imaging is of substantial added value for the detection of these diseases.

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