Brain scans to predict and prevent CAR‑T related brain injury in children with B‑ALL
Official title: Brain-Imaging Markers of Neurotoxicity and Long-Term Outcomes after CAR-T Cell Therapy
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11301859 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses brain imaging to find signs that predict and help prevent brain side effects after CD19 CAR‑T therapy for children with relapsed or refractory B‑cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $702,424 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA274137-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11301859 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with relapsed or refractory B‑cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are scheduled to receive CD19-directed CAR‑T therapy and can come to the study center.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not receiving CD19 CAR‑T therapy (including adults or those with different cancers) are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If your child is getting CD19 CAR‑T for relapsed B‑ALL, doctors will take brain scans before and after treatment to look for signs that predict a neurotoxicity called ICANS. The team will combine imaging and clinical data to build a computer algorithm that flags children at higher risk so clinicians can monitor them more closely, offer preventive treatments, or adapt CAR‑T dosing. They will also follow thinking, memory, and other cognitive skills over time to see whether ICANS leads to lasting problems. The goal is to make CAR‑T safer for children and reduce long‑term brain effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help prevent serious brain side effects and reduce lasting thinking and learning problems after CAR‑T in children.
How similar studies have gone: Early studies and the team's preliminary data suggest imaging markers can predict ICANS, but using scans to guide prevention and predict long‑term outcomes is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bansal, Ravi — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Bansal, Ravi
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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.