A non‑contrast ultrasound to image collagen in the breast as a cancer biomarker
Official title: VisR Ultrasound for Noninvasively Interrogating Stromal Collagen Organization in Women as a Breast Cancer Biomarker
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11326810 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a non‑contrast ultrasound method to map collagen patterns in breast tissue to help detect and guide treatment for women with or at risk for breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $580,057 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA281150-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326810 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be women undergoing breast imaging for screening or diagnostic reasons—especially those with dense breasts or with a suspicious lump who may also be scheduled for biopsy or further workup.
✕Less likely to help
People without breast concerns, with implants that limit ultrasound access, or whose lesions are too small or deep for reliable ultrasound imaging may not benefit from this test.
What this research studies
You would be offered a safe, non‑contrast ultrasound exam that uses shear wave methods (VisR) to map how collagen fibers are organized in your breast tissue. The scan measures how tissue moves in response to sound waves to infer collagen alignment, which may relate to cancer presence and aggressiveness. Researchers will compare the ultrasound maps with standard imaging and pathology (biopsy or surgical samples) to see how the measurements match real tissue structure. If accurate, the technique could help find cancers that are hard to see on mammograms, especially in dense breasts, and provide extra information to guide treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give women a low‑cost, noninvasive way to improve detection and to learn more about tumor biology that may guide treatment choices.
How similar studies have gone: Related ultrasound elastography methods have already shown promise for detecting breast cancer, but using VisR specifically to map stromal collagen organization in vivo is a newer approach with limited clinical validation so far.
Where this research is happening
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Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gallippi, Caterina M — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Gallippi, Caterina M
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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.