Improving imaging of patient-derived 3D tumor models
Preclinical microphysiological tumor models for nuclear medicine
Researchers are developing ways to use clinical PET tracers to image tiny lab-grown versions of patients' tumors so clinicians and scientists can better match lab results to real scans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251941 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will grow 3D microphysiological tumor models (μPTMs) from patient tumor samples inside microfluidic devices to recreate the tumor's structure and cell mix. They will apply radioluminescence microscopy to visualize clinical radionuclide tracers (like FDG) within these organoids at very high spatial resolution. The team will create quantitative image metrics that work across scales from cell cultures to animal models and align with clinical PET imaging. These methods aim to let lab-grown patient tumors be imaged with the same tools used for people, enabling more relevant preclinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with solid tumors who can donate tumor tissue or biopsy samples (for example during surgery or biopsy) would be the best candidates to contribute material to this work.
Not a fit: Patients without accessible tumor tissue or whose cancers do not form organoids well (for example many blood cancers) may not be able to contribute samples or directly benefit from the project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let clinicians and researchers test treatments on patient-derived tumor samples using the same imaging tools used in hospitals, helping personalize therapy decisions faster.
How similar studies have performed: Related imaging approaches and radioluminescence microscopy have shown promise in laboratory settings, but applying clinical PET tracers to patient-derived organoids at this scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pratx, Guillem — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Pratx, Guillem
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.