Celina Ansari, MD

Current Research Interests

Keywords: Tumor Imaging, Contrast Agents, Cancer imaging, MR imaging, Radiology

I am interested in and involved with novel approaches for Tumor MR Imaging, with an emphasis on the development and evaluation of cell-specific contrast agents. For example, I have utilized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIO's) to visualize tumor associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs are of importance because they correlate strongly with poor outcome in patients with breast cancer and other cancers by promoting tumor growth and enhancing pulmonary metastasis by high-level expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and activation of EGF-regulated signaling in mammary epithelial cells (MECs). The USPIOs are phagocytosed by TAMs, but not tumor cells, leading to specific TAM enhancement on MR images. This enhancement may serve as a new biomarker for long-term prognosis, related treatment decisions and the development of new immune-targeted therapies.
In addition I have been working on the development and in vivo testing of novel multifunctional theranostic nanoparticles (TNPs) that provide specific tumor delivery, tumor enzyme-specific activation and in vivo imaging capability. The TNPs are specifically delivered to and retained in cancers via the "enhanced permeability and retention effect', they are activated via tumor specific enzymes (MMP-14) and can be visualized in vivo with MR imaging. These TNPS hold the potential to improve targeted cancer therapies, image-guided prediction of therapy response and, ultimately, enable personalized therapy regimen.
All my work involves MR imaging. I have been working with 1.5 Tesla, 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla MRI machines devising contrast agent appropriate sequences as well as an abundance of MR analysis.
My long term goal is to pursue a career as an Academic Radiologist, translating my research to the clinic. I plan to pursue a clinical fellowship in Women's Imaging or Pediatric Radiology, with a focus on oncology imaging.