Imaging How a New Antibody Therapy Works for Cancer
Imaging the multifaceted response to a bispecific antibody therapy
This project is developing special imaging tests to see how a new antibody treatment works in people with certain types of advanced breast or lung cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132805 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer face challenges when standard treatments stop working. A new type of antibody therapy, called a bispecific antibody, has been created to target two specific proteins, EGFR and cMET, that are often found on these cancer cells. Currently, it's hard to know which patients will benefit most from this new therapy or how well it's working. This work aims to create special imaging tools, like PET scans, to help doctors see if the antibody therapy is reaching the tumor and how the cancer cells are responding. This could help guide treatment decisions and ensure patients receive the most effective care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer or non-small cell lung cancer, especially those whose cancers have specific EGFR or cMET characteristics, could potentially benefit from future applications of this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers do not involve EGFR or cMET overexpression or mutations, or those with other cancer types, may not directly benefit from this specific therapy or imaging approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better ways to predict and monitor how patients with advanced breast or lung cancer respond to a new antibody therapy, helping doctors choose the best treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Bispecific antibodies are a newer class of therapy, and while some have shown promise, developing effective imaging biomarkers to monitor their specific effects in patients is a novel and ongoing area of work.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marquez-Nostra, Bernadette — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Marquez-Nostra, Bernadette
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.