Better imaging for breast cancer immunotherapy
Multiplexed time domain fluorescence tomography of tumor biomarkers during immunotherapy
This project aims to develop a new way to see how breast cancer patients respond to immunotherapy, helping doctors choose the best treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11114011 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Immunotherapy can be very effective for cancers like triple-negative breast cancer, but it doesn't work for everyone and can have serious side effects. Currently, doctors use biopsies to check if a patient might respond, but this only gives a single snapshot and can miss changes over time. This project is creating a non-invasive imaging method to track important markers in tumors, like PD-L1 and blood vessel changes, throughout treatment. This new imaging could help identify early on which patients are likely to benefit from immunotherapy and which might need a different approach. It could also help in testing new combination therapies more effectively.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with breast cancer, particularly triple-negative breast cancer, who are considering or undergoing immunotherapy, could potentially benefit from this type of advanced monitoring.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancer types do not typically respond to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy or those not undergoing active treatment for breast cancer may not directly benefit from this specific imaging approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this new imaging technique could help doctors quickly determine if immunotherapy is working for breast cancer patients, potentially saving them from ineffective treatments and harmful side effects.
How similar studies have performed: While biopsies are standard, the development of non-invasive, dynamic imaging for immunotherapy response is a novel approach with preliminary studies showing promise.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Anand T.n. — Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Anand T.n.
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.