Arsenic discovered by UT Southwestern docs to be useful in tumor imaging

by John P. Meyer

See, when you add arsenic to bavituximab everything becomes crystal clear. (It says here.)

"Ishkabibble!", proclaims Dr. Phillip Thorpe, as Dr. Ralph Mason seeks out another obscure fairy tale reference

"Here's the problem: these hard-to-find tumors are just so dang - how can I say this? - hard to find. We need a powerful imaging agent, something that will allow us to spot early tumor deposits that are not visible using existing imaging techniques.

"What should we use, what should we use... (muttering, drooling upon a well-chewed pencil). Wait a minute, here's a thought: let's try ARSENIC! I mean, it works with old lace and all..."

These may have been the words uttered by Dr. Phillip Thorpe during the process whereby he and fellow University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers discovered the usefulness of radioarsenic-labeled bavituximab (a cancer drug) as a means of tagging and delineating tumorous growths in the bodies of rats. More likely still, they may not have been: perhaps he just said something like, "Eureka!" or even "Ishkabibble!" (Who, in fact, can know what he said, or even if he actually said anything?)

"Hey, doc, take it easy on the wisecracks, O.K.?"

Regardless, Dr. Thorpe and his fellow researchers found that images obtainable from "hot spots" created by arsenic-ified bavituximab which bonded to the blood vessels of cancerous tumors were so clear that they might very well aid in the detection of secondary growths that are prone to migrating away from the original tumor site.

As usual in these sorts of rat-related studies, it's hoped that the results will translate from rats to humans - although the rats themselves can keep their distance, thanks very much.

Says Dr. Ralph Mason, professor of radiology, dir. of the UT Southwestern Cancer Imaging Program and one of the study's authors: “Long neglected as an awkward Cinderella, arsenic has great potential for new imaging agents and therapeutics based on multiple isotopes with diverse useful characteristics.”

Much like a laboratory rat (or even a free range one), I have no idea what is meant by Dr. Mason's reference to an awkward Cinderella, unless it refers to arsenic's tendency to stumble while carrying a pail full of water across the scullery flagstones. Which I sincerely doubt.