Monash University researchers are part of a US-led team working together to develop the first imaging agents that could transform the way lymphatic-related diseases are diagnosed and treated.
The project is being led by the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in collaboration with the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) and is being backed by a USD$7.8M (~AUD$11.8M) LIGHT grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
The digestive lymphatic system plays a pivotal role in most primary lymphatic diseases, as well as lymphatic related diseases such as tissue swelling (lymphedema), fluid build-up in the abdomen (ascites) from heart or liver disease, and protein loss disorders.
Despite its importance, the digestive lymphatic system remains one of the most difficult parts of the human body to study. Current imaging methods are invasive, technically challenging and can only capture small sections of this complex network of vessels and nodes. This limits the ability to diagnose and monitor lymphatic diseases effectively.
To address this pressing issue, the multidisciplinary research team, led by Professor Maxim Itkin at UPenn, will develop innovative targeted agents for intestinal and liver lymphatic imaging.
MIPS Chief Investigator, Professor Natalie Trevaskis, who specialises in lymphatic-related research, said the lymphatic system is a vital but often overlooked part of the body's circulation.
"Alongside our US colleagues, our team will develop a new generation of imaging agents that can be safely given by injection and then naturally travel through the intestinal and liver lymphatic systems. These agents will allow researchers and clinicians to visualise lymphatic flow in real time - from its origin in the liver and intestines through to the bloodstream," Professor Trevaskis said.
"Once we can see how the lymphatic system is functioning in real time, we can start to identify where and why it's failing in different diseases.
"That knowledge will be transformative - it will enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis and guide the development of targeted treatments for conditions such as lymphatic diseases, diabetes, heart failure, liver cirrhosis and cancer."
Chief Investigator Dr Amandeep Kaur, also from MIPS, specialises in developing molecular imaging tools for in vivo imaging.
"In this project, the team will use advances in chemistry, biomarkers and lymphatic uptake to create and refine new imaging agents for lymphatics-related diseases," Dr Kaur said.
"Together, these innovations will help us see the lymphatic system in action like never before."
The project is led by Professor Maxim Itkin from the University of Pennsylvania and also includes Professor Darren Creek as a Chief investigator from MIPS.
