HER2 PET scans to find HER2 differences and predict response to HER2-targeted therapy in bladder cancer
Official title: HER2 PET imaging to assess HER2 heterogeneity and predict response to HER2-targeted ADC therapy in urothelial carcinoma
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11304514 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a PET scan that lights up HER2 to help show which people with metastatic bladder (urothelial) cancer might benefit from HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugates.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $594,012 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA288692-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304514 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with metastatic urothelial (bladder or upper tract) cancer, especially those with known or suspected HER2 expression and who are being considered for HER2-directed ADC therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without urothelial (bladder/upper tract) cancer or those who are not candidates for HER2-directed treatments are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would get a HER2-targeted PET scan that maps HER2 expression across your primary tumor and metastases. Doctors will compare the PET images with biopsy and genetic data from your tumors to look for mixed (heterogeneous) HER2 levels. They will link those imaging patterns to how patients respond to newer HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The goal is to see if the PET scan can help predict who will get a durable benefit and explain why some tumors resist these drugs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help pick patients most likely to benefit from HER2-targeted ADCs and avoid ineffective treatments for others.
How similar studies have gone: Second-generation HER2-directed ADCs have shown strong results in HER2-expressing breast and lung cancers and some responses in urothelial cancer, but using HER2 PET to predict response is a more novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Iyer, Gopa — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Iyer, Gopa
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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.