Advanced MRI to track breast cancer response to chemotherapy
Multinuclear MRI to Monitor Breast Cancer Therapy
This project uses a new MRI method that reads proton and sodium signals to spot early whether pre-surgery chemotherapy is damaging breast cancer cells in people getting neoadjuvant treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11225121 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll have special MRI scans during your neoadjuvant chemotherapy that capture both traditional proton images and sodium signals on a 3 Tesla clinical scanner. The team will use MR fingerprinting techniques to measure tumor cell sodium levels, cellular volume changes, and related metabolic features. Those imaging measures will be combined into a biomarker model meant to show early loss of ion balance when chemotherapy injures cancer cells. Scans will be compared over time to try to identify patients who are not responding so their care can be adjusted sooner.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with locally advanced invasive breast cancer who plan to receive neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) chemotherapy and can safely undergo 3T MRI are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, those with widespread metastatic disease beyond the breast region, or anyone unable to have MRI (for example due to incompatible implants or pregnancy) may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors tell sooner whether chemotherapy is working so treatment can be changed earlier and unnecessary side effects avoided.
How similar studies have performed: Prior small studies of sodium and multinuclear MRI have shown promising signals, but this approach remains experimental and not yet proven in large clinical trials.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Madelin, Guillaume — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Madelin, Guillaume
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.