Imaging-guided, heat-activated CAR T cell treatment for breast cancer
Image-guided cancer therapy using heat activatable CAR T cells
This project uses harmless heating and special imaging to switch on engineered CAR T cells only inside breast tumors so they can attack cancer more safely and strongly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159452 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive CAR T cells that are tagged with tiny gold particles and engineered so they only turn on when warmed slightly. Doctors would use combined ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging to find and track those cells in the tumor. Focused ultrasound would then gently heat the tumor area to activate the CAR T cells locally, aiming to avoid turning them on elsewhere in the body. Researchers will monitor imaging signals, tumor response, and safety measures to see how well the approach works.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with breast cancer (including breast adenocarcinoma) whose tumors express the CAR target and are reachable with focused ultrasound and imaging procedures.
Not a fit: People whose tumors lack the targeted antigen, whose tumor location cannot be reached safely by focused ultrasound, or who are not eligible for CAR T cell treatment due to medical risks may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could boost CAR T cell tumor-killing in breast cancer while reducing whole-body side effects by activating the cells only at the tumor site.
How similar studies have performed: CAR T therapies have been very successful for some blood cancers, but using heat-activated, imaging-guided CAR T cells for solid tumors is a novel approach that so far is mainly at the preclinical or early translational stage.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Georgia Institute of Technology — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Emelianov, Stanislav Y — Georgia Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Emelianov, Stanislav Y
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.