Philips Medical Systems' recently created Molecular Imaging unit is moving ahead with research plans at four universities and with nuclear medicine imaging agent company. Philips is offering its health imaging technologies to advance the detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases.

 Philips has aligned with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., in MRI, ultrasound and nuclear medicine. The pair has a grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to investigate, develop and commercialize target-specific nanotechnology molecular agents. Dow Chemical Co. and therapeutic and molecular imaging firm Kereos Inc. are collaborating with Philips the medical school on the NCI initiative.

 Theseus Imaging is partnering with Philips on the methodology for in vivo imaging of cardiac cell death. With data from Theseus' trials, Philips is looking to enhance image fusion techniques and imaging characteristics of Theseus' Apomate nuclear medicine imaging agent.

Philips' other projects include:

• the University Victor Segalen Bordeaux and the  French National Center for Scientific Research, which has developed a combined MRI-ultrasound configuration for controlled delivery and gene expression;
  
  
• the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), where Philips has combined MR with a cath lab to explore targeted local delivery of drugs and stem cells; and
  
  
• the University of Michigan, to which Philips will provide two 3.0-tesla MRI systems and two Intera 1.5-T scanners to examine diseases and disorders through advanced neurological, cardiac and body applications, and pediatric imaging.