Isotopia Molecular Imaging has announced it is backing research led by Israeli investigators who are developing a radiopharmaceutical to detect small, aggressive cancerous tumors.
The research is focused on a hypoxia radioactive marker based on a copper-64 isotope that reportedly identifies oxygen-deficient cells. Studies have shown that oxygen concentration in the cell is directly related to the aggressiveness of cancerous tumors.
The hypoxia radioactive marker may determine if a tumor is malignant or benign and also show how aggressive it is through a single image, eliminating the need for a standard biopsy, the company said in a release.
The research is led by Sharon Ruthstein, PhD, of the department of chemistry at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan.
