Brain Activity Changes in Brain Cancer
Neural Activity Signatures of Tumor Infiltration in the Human Brain
This project aims to understand how brain cancer cells change the activity of healthy brain cells in people with brain tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11171488 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When brain cancer cells spread, they interact with healthy brain cells, making them more active and connected. This increased activity might help the tumor grow and spread further, and it could also explain why many brain tumor patients experience seizures. While we know a lot about this from animal studies and removed tissue, we don't fully understand how these changes happen in a living human brain. This project will use special tiny electrodes during surgery to measure brain activity directly in and around brain tumors in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients undergoing surgery for brain cancer who are candidates for brain activity monitoring during their procedure would be ideal.
Not a fit: Patients not undergoing brain surgery or those with other types of cancer not affecting the brain may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could lead to new ways to treat brain cancer by targeting the abnormal brain activity that helps tumors grow and cause seizures.
How similar studies have performed: While previous work in animals and removed tissue has shown these interactions, this project is novel in directly studying these changes in the intact human brain during surgery.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paulk, Angelique C — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Paulk, Angelique C
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.