Mapping HER2 and blood flow in HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the brain
Official title: Advanced PET/MRI to quantify heterogeneity of HER2 and vasculature in HER2+ breast-to-brain metastasis prior to combination targeted and radiotherapy
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11291301 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using advanced PET/MRI scans to map how HER2 protein and blood flow vary inside brain metastases in people with HER2-positive breast cancer before they get targeted drugs and radiation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $169,583 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA289166-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11291301 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with HER2-positive breast cancer who have one or more brain metastases and are candidates for HER2-targeted therapy and radiotherapy would be the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without HER2-positive tumors, without brain metastases, or who cannot undergo PET/MRI or receive the radiolabeled antibody (for medical or safety reasons) are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would get a combined PET and MRI scan that uses a tiny radioactive tracer attached to trastuzumab to show where HER2 protein is in your brain tumor while dynamic MRI measures blood flow and leakiness. The scans will be combined to create detailed maps of which parts of each tumor receive the targeted antibody and how well they are perfused. Researchers will compare these imaging maps before treatment and after to see how delivery and tumor biology relate to radiation and targeted therapy effects. The goal is to use noninvasive imaging to understand differences within and between brain metastases so future treatments can be better directed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors tailor targeted therapy and radiation by showing which tumor areas get the drug and are most likely to respond.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human studies have used 89Zr-trastuzumab PET to map HER2 in patients and preclinical work shows trastuzumab can change tumor blood flow, but combining this PET approach with dynamic contrast MRI in brain metastases is an early and novel strategy.
Where this research is happening
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University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sorace, Anna C — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Sorace, Anna C
Related research
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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.