Akita chemists Scott Selfridge and Robert Pawle are among the authors of a paper in Photochemistry and Photobiology on photoacoustic dye conjugates for cancer imaging and treatment:

Saad, M. A., Xavierselvan, M., Sharif, H. A., Selfridge, S., Pawle, R., Varvares, M., Mallidi, S., & Hasan, T. (2022). Dual Function Antibody Conjugates for Multimodal Imaging and Photoimmunotherapy of Cancer Cells. Photochemistry and photobiology, 98(1), 220–231. https://doi.org/10.1111/php.13501  The Akita contribution to this project is the design and synthesis of the photoacoustic dye used in the conjugate.

Precision imaging, utilizing molecular targeted agents, is an important tool in cancer diagnostics and guiding therapies. While there are limitations associated with single mode imaging probes, multi-modal molecular imaging probes enabling target visualization through complementary imaging technologies provides an attractive alternative. However, there are several challenges associated in designing molecular probes carrying contrast agents for complementary multi-modal imaging. Here we propose a dual function antibody conjugate (DFAC) comprising an FDA approved photosensitizer Benzoporphyrin derivative (BPD) and a naphthalocyanine-based photoacoustic dye (SiNc(OH)) for multi-modal infra-red (IR) imaging. While fluorescence imaging, through BPD, provides sensitivity, complementing it with photoacoustic imaging, through SiNc(OH), provides a depth-resolved spatial resolution much beyond the optical diffusion limits of fluorescence measurements. Through a series of in vitro experiments, we demonstrate the development and utilization of DFACs for multi-modal imaging and photodynamic treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (A431) cell line. The proposed DFACs have potential use in precision imaging applications such as guiding tumor resection surgeries and photodynamic treatment of residual microscopic disease thereby minimizing local recurrence. The data demonstrated in this study merits further investigation for its pre-clinical and clinical translation.