Center Director:
James P. Basillion, Ph.D.

The Problem

As cancer progresses with time, it becomes more deadly if undetected.  If cancers are found and treated at their earliest stage, the chance of survival dramatically increases. However, current cancer detection methods such as ultrasound, Computerized Tomography (CT) and MRI, often fail to detect small, newly formed cancers. Consequently, these methods have significant limitations in early cancer detection.

Today’s cancer imaging technologies rely on detecting different physical properties (e.g. shape, density, etc.) between cancers and their surrounding normal tissues, which are often insensitive and unreliable. In order to detect cancer at early stage while they are more treatable, new imaging technologies are in demand.

The Solution

In order to develop new imaging technologies and detect cancers when they are curable, NFCR has established the Center for Molecular Imaging at Case Western Reserve University.  The Research Center uses a newly developed technology called molecular imaging to detect cancers at the molecular level. Groundbreaking research at this NFCR center will allow doctors to detect cancer at its inception, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatments and the earliest signs of cancer recurrence.

Molecular imaging utilizes high resolution imaging to detect cellular and molecular properties that are specific for cancer cells, thus allow cancer to be diagnosed at the very early stages when it is still tiny.  In addition, because it is a non-invasive method (no tissues samples need to be taken from the patients), molecular imaging has also become a critical tool for treatment plan adjustment and clinical development of novel anti-cancer drugs, which will allow patients to receive more effective and individual-based treatment.

The Research

The NFCR Center for Molecular Imaging at Case Western Reserve University is dedicated to developing molecular imaging technology, and to expediting its clinical application. Lead by Dr. James Basilion, the expert in this field, this NFCR center is equipped with state-of -the-art facilities and is in collaboration with NFCR’s worldwide scientists to accelerate the transfer of molecular imaging technologies from bench-side to the patients’ bed-side.

The NFCR Center for Molecular Imaging is devoted to identifying more informative molecular markers and molecules that can recognize these markers, which can be used for more effective cancer detection. Currently Dr. Basilion and his team is studying breast, prostate and brain cancers.  Research is also being actively conducted to develop technologies that are able to catch multiple molecular markers simultaneously, which would provide an even more powerful and reliable tool for early cancer detection.

With their tireless efforts, our scientists not only develop advanced technologies, but also bring hopes to millions of cancer patients who are suffering from this devastating disease.