Nigerian-born Washington University scientist Samuel Achilefu wins annual St. Louis Award for his cancer-seeing glasses

Nigerian-born Washington University scientist Samuel Achilefu wins
annual St. Louis Award for his cancer-seeing glasses

As head of the Washington University optical radiology laboratory —
where researchers study how to use light to improve diagnosis and
treatment of disease — Samuel Achilefu heard from surgeons
frustrated by the difficulty of removing every remnant of a patient’s
cancerous tumor.
Before surgery, imaging tests involving big, high-tech machines can
create detailed pictures of a person’s cancer, Achilefu said, “but
when a patient is in the operating room, it’s like walking in the
dark.”
Achilefu wondered, what if he could take imaging technology and
make it wearable like night-vision goggles used in the military so
surgeons could see the cancer while they are operating?
The technology would be extremely difficult — some even thought
impossible — to miniaturize and make functional and wearable for
hours. But after dedicating five years to the project, Achilefu created
cancer-visualizing glasses that were successfully used in surgeries
for first time last year.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian-born scientist won the prestigious St.
Louis Award for 2014 for his work in creating the technology, which
could affect the outcomes of cancer patients across the world.
At the awards ceremony, Achilefu, 52, told the crowd his work was
driven by the question: What if? “ ‘What if’ is really telling us that we
should not be focusing on the problem,” he said, “but the potential
solution for it.”
Foster pride
Achilefu is the 87th person to receive the annual award since it was
established in1931 — the worst of the depression years — by
prominent philanthropist David P. Wohl. The shoe company owner
anonymously founded the award to recognize a St. Louis area
resident who “performed such a service as to bring greatest honor
to the community.” Wohl hoped to foster optimism and pride in the
city he loved.
Award committee president David Kemper, chairman and of
Commerce Bancshares Inc., praised Achilefu for “putting St. Louis in
the spotlight for advancements in optical imaging technology that
have pushed the boundaries of cancer treatment.”
Even under high magnification, it’s nearly impossible for surgeons
to tell where a cancer tumor ends and healthy tissue begins. To
make sure they remove all the cancerous cells, surgeons remove the
tumor and neighboring tissue. The samples are sent to a lab and
viewed under a microscope. If the surrounding tissue contains
cancer cells, a second surgery is performed to remove even more
tissue. Among breast cancer patients, about 20 to 25 percent who
have cancerous lumps removed require a second surgery.
The glasses were used for the first time during a breast cancer
operation on Feb. 10 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and have since been
used on more than two dozen people with breast cancer, melanoma
or liver cancer.
A commonly used contrast agent is injected into the patient’s
tumor. When viewed with near-infared light, the cancerous cells
glow blue. Tumors as small as 1 millimeter in diameter (as thick as
about 10 sheets of paper) can be detected.
Breast surgeon Dr. Julie Margenthaler is encouraged. “Imagine
what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-
up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience and anxiety,” she
said.
Achilefu started his research into the eyewear using funds from the
university and the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research
Program. He assembled a team that included engineers and video
game specialists to further refine the glasses. After successfully
using the technology in rodents, his team received in 2012 a $2.8
million federal grant, paving the way for use in patients. The results
will soon be used to seek FDA approval of the device so other
surgeons across the country — who have already been calling — can
start using it.
Try very hard
In 2001, Gill Jost, former chair of the radiology department, was
searching across the country for an optical chemist to lead the
laboratory at Washington U. It turned out, the best candidate was in
St. Louis. Achilefu had since 1992 been working here for
Mallinckrodt Inc., rising in the ranks as a star chemist.
As one of the top five students in Nigeria, Achilefu won a
scholarship from the French government to study at the University
of Nancy. He excelled and went on to earn his post-doctoral degree
at Oxford University.
He came to St. Louis at the urging of his mentor, who was hired by
Mallinckrodt to start a new research department. Despite being
recruited by research institutions across the world, he chose to stay
in St. Louis when he made the switch to academia. Married with two
young children, Achilefu said he had come to love the city and see it
as his home.
Jost said what makes Achilefu a great scientist is not only his
diverse expertise in chemistry, cell biology, biomedical engineering
and even genetics, but an intense curiosity that makes him delight in
any challenge.
Achilefu also fosters that same determination in those who work in
his lab. “It’s such a joy to watch how he nurtures people,” Jost said.
His team is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Achilefu is also seeking FDA approval for a promising new contrast
agent he helped develop. The agent selectively enters cancer cells
anywhere in the body and stays there for up to a week, causing all
different types of cancer cells to glow the same. The agent could
help deliver toxic drugs directly to cancer cells, avoiding healthy
cells altogether.
While the St. Louis Award recognizes a significant contribution by
the winner, Achilefu said it was more about acknowledging values
that can shape the city’s future.
“I’m fortunate to be at an institution where this is encouraged,” he
said, “and to be a part of a community that encourages people to try
very, very hard.”
2015 ...increase your value!

http://m.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/nigerian-born-wash-u-scientist-wins-annual-st-louis-award/article_db835312-9a05-588a-a7b5-7fdf28653805.html?mobile_touch=true