High-Performance Brain PET Imaging with Whole-Body PET for Cancer Care
Official title: A High-Performance Instrument for Brain Imaging in Combination with Whole Body PET-CT for Oncology
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11447754 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new brain PET scanner, used with a whole-body PET, could improve cancer diagnosis and monitoring by giving sharper brain and body images in one session.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $672,995 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA308968-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11447754 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with suspected or known cancer who may benefit from combined brain and body PET imaging.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without access to PET imaging or without cancer-related imaging needs may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project partners with Siemens to build a high-resolution brain PET device that can also operate with a total-body PET. It aims to deliver isotropic 2-mm brain images with very fast timing, enabling simultaneous brain and body imaging for oncology. The work includes developing the brain detector design, refining image generation methods for accurate brain data, and testing these protocols in humans using tracers like 18F-FES, FACBC, and FDG. The instrument is designed to work standalone for brain imaging or in tandem with total-body scans to broaden clinical use. The study will use simulations, experimental measurements, and limited human testing to validate performance and clinical feasibility.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster, more precise brain and body imaging to improve cancer detection and treatment planning.
How similar studies have gone: Previous high-resolution brain PET work shows promise; this project extends capabilities with a total-body PET in a clinical setting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karp, Joel S — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Karp, Joel S
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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.