Targeted Therapeutics – Improving Radiation Therapy Via Oxygen Microbubble Hypoxia Treatment

Improving Radiation Therapy via Oxygen Microbubble Hypoxia Treatment

Virginie Papadopoulou and Phil Durham

Solid cancer tumors are characterized by the presence of disorganized, leaky vessels that promote regions of low oxygenation (hypoxia). It is well-established that hypoxia is a key factor in treatment failure or recurrence after all main cancer treatment modalities, including radiotherapy. In the last few years, oxygen microbubbles have shown promise as a way to improve therapeutic efficacy by transiently re-oxygenating tumors. Research in the Dayton Lab currently focuses on establishing consistent ways to measure the dynamics of this microbubble-induced oxygen delivery in vivo, as well as investigating its therapeutic potential in combination with radiation therapy.