PhD defence
Enhancing visualization of gastrointestinal tumors: molecular targets and tracers for intraoperative optical imaging
- R.D. Houvast
- Date
- Tuesday 4 November 2025
- Time
- Location
-
Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden
Supervisor(s)
- Prof.dr. J. Burggraaf
- Prof.dr. A.L. Vahrmeijer
- dr. P.J.K. Kuppen
Summary
Surgery remains the foundation of curative cancer treatment, however tumor identification during surgery may be challenging. Preoperatively, accurate tumor imaging is pivotal to assess whether a tumor can be safely removed and which patients will benefit from surgery. However, some of the current imaging modalities lack specificity. Targeted molecular imaging, using tracers directed against molecular targets on cancer cells, offers opportunities to improve both pre- and intraoperative cancer detection. Preoperatively, targeted positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is of particular interest. Intraoperatively, near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, optionally combined with photoacoustic (PA) imaging, holds great promise for real-time identification of tumor tissue.
This thesis addresses key challenges regarding molecular targets and tracers that are used for molecular imaging of gastrointestinal tumors, with a focus on pancreatic and gastric cancer. It investigates both established and new molecular targets on cancer cells, such as tumor-associated glycans, and evaluates innovative tracers that bind these targets. These include glycan-binding and DARPin-based tracers suitable for NIRF/PA imaging.
Thereby, this thesis contributes to the groundwork for improved pre- and intraoperative visualization of gastrointestinal tumors. Further development, optimization, and clinical evaluation of the molecular imaging strategies described in this thesis is warranted. Ultimately, such tracers may enhance surgical precision and improve patient outcomes.
PhD dissertations
Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.
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General information
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