3D cellular imaging of medical tracers in tissues
Official title: Three-dimensional imaging of radiopharmaceutical distribution in multicellular organism at cellular resolution
Funded at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee · NIH-11285151 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds a tiny 3D microscope to show how medical imaging tracers and radiopharmaceuticals move through patient-derived tissue samples to help people who get PET scans or radiotracer treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin Milwaukee NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | March 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $119,607 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EB035205-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285151 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates to contribute would be patients able to donate tumor or other tissue samples (for example during biopsy or surgery) whose samples could be made into organoids for tracer testing.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate medical treatment outcomes, healthy volunteers without tissue to donate, or those unwilling to provide samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Researchers will build a new microscopic nuclear imaging device based on radioluminescence microscopy to record where clinical tracers go inside thick, living multi-cellular samples. The team will image patient-derived organoids and other intact tissue samples to map tracer distribution at cellular resolution in three dimensions. By comparing these high-resolution maps to existing PET and autoradiography data, they aim to improve how clinical nuclear images are interpreted and to test candidate radiopharmaceuticals before patient use. Work is primarily laboratory-based and focused on imaging methods rather than treating patients directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors read PET scans more accurately and guide selection of safer, more effective radiopharmaceuticals for patients.
How similar studies have gone: This builds on existing methods like microautoradiography and radioluminescence microscopy but is a novel effort to achieve high-resolution 3D imaging in thick, living tissue and patient-derived organoids.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sung, Yongjin — University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
- Study coordinator: Sung, Yongjin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Metal-dependent protein phosphatases in Parkinson’s disease
A study to understand how a family of brain enzymes called phosphatases may protect neurons in people with Parkinson’s disease.
-
Stress and alcohol-related sexual assault in college students
A study with college students who drink heavily will look at how stress and daily factors relate to the chance of sexual assault happening in relation to alcohol use.
-
Neural training to improve stopping impulses in OCD and related conditions
A new computer-based training helps people with OCD, trichotillomania, or skin picking disorders improve their ability to stop automatic urges.
-
How stress and drinking relate to sexual assault risk among college students
This project looks at how heavy drinking and stress are linked to experiences of sexual assault among college students.
-
How social media images relate to suicidal thoughts in transgender teens
This project uses digital photovoice to learn how social media content seen by transgender and non-binary teens (ages 15–20) connects with feelings of self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
-
Understanding how BRAF and RAF1 variants affect cell structure and signaling in a worm model
This project studies how disease-linked changes in human BRAF and RAF1 genes alter Raf protein behavior and the cell’s skeleton using a worm model.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.