Improving treatment response assessment for brain cancer using MRI and blood tests
Official title: Using MRI and circulating tumor DNA to improve the interpretation of response to immunotherapy and targeted therapy in CNS metastases
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-10757395 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how well immunotherapy and targeted therapy work for people with brain metastases by using special MRI scans and blood tests to find out if the treatment is helping or if the cancer is getting worse, all without needing any painful biopsies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2019 |
| Project end | November 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $646,356 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA244975-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10757395 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with brain metastases who are undergoing immunotherapy or targeted therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with primary brain tumors or those not receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how to better understand the effectiveness of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in patients with brain metastases by using advanced MRI scans and analyzing circulating tumor DNA from blood samples. The goal is to identify noninvasive markers that can indicate whether a treatment is working or if the cancer is progressing. By combining these two methods, the research aims to differentiate between actual tumor growth and inflammation caused by the immune response to treatment. This approach could provide valuable insights into how brain metastases respond to therapies without the need for invasive tissue biopsies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate assessments of treatment responses, allowing for better personalized treatment plans for patients with brain metastases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using circulating tumor DNA and imaging techniques to assess treatment responses in other cancer types, suggesting potential success for this novel approach in brain metastases.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gerstner, Elizabeth — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gerstner, Elizabeth
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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.