The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has selected seven universities to receive up to $150 million in funding for pioneering new cancer surgery technologies. These grants are part of a larger initiative to develop advanced tools that improve surgical precision and reduce the likelihood of repeat procedures.
"From the start, [the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health agency] has had a singular purpose: to drive breakthroughs in health, including cancer. Revolutionizing surgical techniques is a critical step forward towards improving detection and treatment of cancer, and improving the overall patient experience in the process," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Tuesday. "The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to reducing the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years. This goal is becoming more and more achievable thanks to breakthrough treatments and innovative technologies like these."
Tulane University in Louisiana received $22.9 million to develop an advanced imaging system and an AI algorithm to better identify cancerous cells on excised tumors, according to the news release.
"Currently, it can take days to weeks before a surgeon knows whether all the tumor has been removed, and our goal is to get that down to 10 minutes, while the patient is still on the table," J. Quincy Brown, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the Tulane School of Science and Engineering and lead researcher on the project, said in a statement. "If successful, our work would transform cancer surgery as we know it."
Rice University in Texas received $18 million to work on a novel microscope to visualize and classify tumor cells. The University of Washington received $21.1 million to create a microscopy system and AI methods that will allow for detailed imaging of tumor surfaces without the need for dyes.
In the area of detecting microscopic cancer remnants, University of California, San Francisco received $15.1 million to invent a "microscope that uses an optical array that is pressed into the cavity's surface," as well as a multi-cancer dyeing agent for enhanced visualization. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign received $32.6 million to "develop optical coherence tomography techniques to find suspicious tissue structures," while Johns Hopkins University in Maryland received $20.9 million to work on a photoacoustic endoscope for surgeries and a multi-cancer fluorescent contrast agent.
For improving the visibility of critical anatomical structures, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire received $31.3 million to develop a laparoscope-integrating imaging solution with fluorescent dyes to enhance the detection of nerves and other vital structures during prostate cancer surgeries.
Finally, Cision Vision, a California-based medical equipment manufacturer, received $22.3 million to "use shortwave infrared and hyperspectral images to help surgeons visualize blood vessels, nerves, and especially lymphatic structures."
President Joe Biden initially vowed to "cure cancer" during his 2020 presidential campaign, making cancer research and treatment a central focus. However, his approach has since evolved to emphasize expanding cancer screening and prevention, and enhancing the experiences of patients, survivors and caregivers.
