A new way to test cancer treatments using patient cells
Label-Free, Longitudinal, Multi-Metric Viability Imaging of 3D Tissue Spheroid Array
This project aims to develop a better way to test many cancer drug options on a patient's own tumor cells to find the most effective personalized treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11109694 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Currently, doctors often start with standard cancer treatments and observe how patients respond, which may not be the best approach for everyone. Precision cancer medicine seeks to find the ideal treatment for each individual by directly testing drugs on their tumor cells. This project is creating advanced imaging technology to test many different chemotherapy options on tiny 3D models of a patient's tumor, which are grown from a small biopsy. This new method will allow researchers to repeatedly check how well different drugs work on the same sample, helping to identify the most promising treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is foundational for patients with breast cancer who might benefit from personalized treatment approaches based on their unique tumor characteristics.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancer cannot be biopsied or those not seeking personalized medicine approaches may not directly benefit from this specific method development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more personalized and effective cancer treatments by helping doctors choose the best drug for a patient's specific tumor.
How similar studies have performed: While the concept of functional precision medicine is promising, current methods have limitations, and this project introduces a novel imaging technique to overcome some of those challenges.
Where this research is happening
Providence, United States
- Brown University — Providence, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Jonghwan — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Lee, Jonghwan
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 below.