Hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI to guide brain tumor care
Official title: Project 4: Clinical translation and validation of metabolic probes to evaluate brain tumors
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11413790 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach uses safe, rapidly acquired metabolic MRI scans to help manage brain tumors like glioblastoma and meningioma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2007 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $483,926 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA118816-18 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413790 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with recurrent glioblastoma or other primary brain tumors being considered for novel treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not receiving hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI imaging or whose tumor biology does not show detectable metabolic changes may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will test dynamic metabolic imaging with hyperpolarized carbon-13 pyruvate to see how early metabolic changes respond to new treatments in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. By comparing metabolic signals with traditional imaging, doctors may gain faster insight into whether a therapy is working. The study builds on prior work translating this imaging method into clinical use for brain tumors at UCSF. Patients will undergo specialized MR imaging that reveals tumor metabolism in near real-time, potentially enabling more timely treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive faster, more precise assessments of how their tumor responds to therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI can reveal tumor metabolism and heterogeneity in brain cancers.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Yan — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Li, Yan
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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.