The path of optical molecular imaging from lab to industry is an ingenious one. TRACER has been founded on years of continuous innovative scientific endeavours, dedication and commitment to make the drug development process more efficient for everyone involved for the benefit of the patients of today and tomorrow. We have pushed the frontiers of science by trusting the data we deliver to lead you the way into fast precision drug development based on state-of-the-art scientific achievements. Let us take you back to where it all started, a conference room at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland USA.
Go’s passion for molecular imaging was sparked by a presentation given by one of the god-fathers of molecular imaging, prof Weissleder, Harvard Medical School. Whereas the initial medical technology was focused on predominantly pre-clinical imaging, Go became a strong believer in the possibilities of molecular imaging with an in-human approach and in particular his field of interest, surgical oncology.
As a surgeon oncologist, Go envisioned a great benefit for using molecular imaging techniques in surgeries. Namely, by applying fluorescence optical imaging surgeons can illuminate targeted tumors. This allows surgeons to see what to resect and what not to resect. In other words, molecular imaging results in preciser removal of tumor tissue and retention of healthy tissue.
From idea to first in-human
The first in-human fluorescence-guided surgery approach became a reality in 2007 when Go, together with the Technical University of Munich and Purdue University, applied fluorescence imaging to a patient with ovarian cancer. With a publication in Nature Medicine the concept of optical imaging as a visual tool in surgeries started to develop far beyond the borders of medical centers throughout the world.
Fast-forward to 2017. Go and Ari start TRACER as a spinout from the university . TRACER, to this day, is the first and only commercial entity that offers the full spectrum of clinical translational optical molecular imaging and in-human microdosing techniques at the industrial level both in Europe and in the Unites States.