Traceable Theranostics: Tools for visualising drug delivery and therapeutic benefit in vivo (2012-2015)

Cancer and related diseases have a tremendous negative impact on society - a step change in the way cancer is diagnosed and treated is required. Central to this aim is the development of therapies tailored for a particular patient. To achieve this level of care, this proposal aims to develop 'smart' biomedical devices that can diagnose, treat and monitor a therapy. This will be achieved through development of innovative strategies for 'turning-on' an imaging construct upon drug release. This approach is expected to significantly benefit the health-care system by providing a rapid feed-back loop for designing improved drug delivery strategies that result in enhanced disease targeting and consequently improved efficacy and fewer side effects.