The University of Washington in Seattle has been awarded up to $21.1 million as part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative led by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. This funding is part of a larger $150 million initiative focused on improving the success of tumor-removal surgeries. The UW, along with Tulane University and Rice University, has been tasked with developing new ways of visualizing individual cells on the surface of a tumor after its removal. The goal is to enable surgeons to assess whether more cancer cells remain in the patient before the surgery is complete, leading to faster and more complete tumor removal during single procedures.
The research award is a result of work from the lab of University of Washington Mechanical Engineering Professor Jonathan Liu. The aim is to develop an intraoperative “flatbed scanner” that would be located in the operating room and used to comprehensively image the margin surfaces of surgical specimens within 15 minutes of their removal. These images will assist surgeons in determining whether the entire tumor was removed and where they should continue to resect if needed. Collaborators for this project include Alpenglow Biosciences and Harvard Medical School, with major clinical studies to be conducted at UW Medicine and Vanderbilt University.
The funding for this initiative comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which has invested over $400 million in the past two years to accelerate prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer. The ultimate goal of the Cancer Moonshot initiative is to reduce the cancer death rate by at least half by 2047 and improve the overall experience for people affected by cancer. The innovative technologies being developed through this funding aim to provide real-time solutions for surgeons in operating rooms, eliminating the need for an on-site pathologist. This will lead to more accurate and efficient tumor removal procedures, ultimately improving outcomes for patients.
By developing new ways of visualizing individual cells on the surface of tumors, surgeons will be able to better assess the presence of cancer cells during tumor-removal surgeries. This will enable them to ensure a more comprehensive and complete removal of cancer tumors during single procedures, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients. The collaborative efforts of the University of Washington, along with its partners Alpenglow Biosciences and Harvard Medical School, aim to revolutionize the way surgeons approach tumor removal surgeries by providing them with detailed imaging information in real time.
The Cancer Moonshot initiative is a national effort to accelerate progress in cancer research and treatment, with the ultimate goal of reducing the cancer death rate by at least half by 2047. The funding awarded to the University of Washington and its partners is part of this larger initiative and is focused on improving the success of tumor-removal surgeries. By developing innovative technologies such as an intraoperative “flatbed scanner,” the UW and its collaborators are working towards enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of tumor removal procedures, ultimately benefiting patients affected by cancer.
The research award builds on existing work from the lab of University of Washington Mechanical Engineering Professor Jonathan Liu. The goal is to create a technology that will enable surgeons to quickly and accurately assess tumor margins during surgeries, leading to faster and more complete tumor removal. With the support of funding from ARPA-H, the UW and its partners are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions that have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. Through collaboration with leading institutions and research partners, this initiative is on track to make a significant impact in the fight against cancer and improve outcomes for patients.
