MedUni Vienna Medical Imaging Cluster (MIC)
“Multiparametic Diagnostics and Theranostics of Tumors”
Fabian Kiessling, Universitätsklinikum Aachen
Abstract:
Significant advances have been achieved in elucidating molecular regulations of cancer and numerous disease-related markers were identified. Additionally, imaging technologies steadily improved and are providing detailed insight into tissues’ morphology, function and molecular regulation. However, there is still a need to identify and quantify the most relevant information and to bring it into a mechanistic context.
In the first part of my talk, I present advanced imaging strategies to characterize tumors by assessing various “hallmarks of cancer” using non-invasive imaging and to assess therapy responses. In this context, I will discuss novel computer applications to improve data processing, lesion detection and segmentation as well as radiomic image analysis. However, taking a study on hepatocellular carcinoma therapy with a multispecific tyrosine kinase inhibitor as an example, I will also show that correlative analyses do not always lead to correct conclusions on biological mechanisms and that the interconnection and impact of the observed changes need to be understood.
The second part of my talk will be dedicated to drug delivery. Here, I will show how imaging can be used to improve the preselection of patients to therapies and discuss the value of nanomedicines and active targeting. Furthermore, I will highlight the potential of ultrasound mediated theranostics to overcome biological barriers and to improve tumor perfusion.
Bio-Sketch:
Since 2008 Professor Dr. Fabian Kiessling is leading the Institute of Experimental Molecular Imaging at the RWTH-University in Aachen. Furthermore, he is director of the Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering of the RWTH and speaker of the Comprehensive Diagnostics Center Aachen. Aim of his research is the development of novel diagnostic, theranostic and therapeutic probes as well of advanced imaging technologies and image analysis tools. In this context, a main focus of his research is the investigation and diagnostic assessment of vascular and microenvironmental tissue properties and the exploration of its impact on disease progression and therapy response.
Fabian Kiessling studied Medicine and did his thesis at the University in Heidelberg. Until the end of 2002, he worked as resident in the Department of Radiology at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg. In 2003 he changed to the Department of Medical Physics in Radiology of the DKFZ as leader of the Molecular Imaging group. In parallel, he did his clinical training at different Departments of the University of Heidelberg and received the board certification as Radiologist in 2007. Fabian Kiessling did his habilitation in experimental radiology in 2006. In 2008 he founded the invivoContrast GmbH together with Matthias Braeutigam.
Fabian Kiessling is author of more than 300 scientific publications and book chapters, edited three books, holds several patents and received many research awards, among those the „Emil Salzer Price for Cancer Research” and the “Richtzenhain Price”.
Professor Kiessling served in the Editorial board of scientific journals including Radiology, European Radiology, European Radiology Experimental, the American Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and Nanotheranostics.
He is founding member of the European Society for Functional and Molecular Imaging in Radiology (ESMOFIR), board member of ESHI-MT, currently treasurer of the European Society for Molecular Imaging (ESMI), founding member of the ESMI working group “Image
Guided Therapy and Drug Delivery (IGTDD)“ and he was chairman of the “Molecular Imaging” subcommittee of the European Society for Radiology (ESR). Furthermore, he was program chair of the European Molecular Imaging Meeting (EMIM) in Antwerp in 2014 and of the World Molecular Imaging Conference (WMIS) in New York in 2016.