Metabolic MRI to image and track brain tumors
Project 4: Clinical translation and validation of metabolic probes to evaluate brain tumors
This project uses a special carbon-13 MRI and safe metabolic tracers to see how tumors behave in adults with glioblastoma or meningioma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192782 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive a fast MRI that uses non-radioactive, naturally occurring metabolites labeled with carbon-13 to watch tumor chemistry in real time. The team has already translated this method into people and will expand its use to look at glioblastoma and meningioma. One part focuses on people with recurrent glioblastoma who are receiving new treatments to look for early metabolic changes after therapy. The scans are designed to be noninvasive and completed in seconds to minutes during a routine imaging visit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (typically 21 and older) with primary brain tumors such as glioblastoma or meningioma who can undergo MRI and are willing to come to a center offering hyperpolarized carbon-13 imaging are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without primary brain tumors, children, or anyone who cannot have an MRI (for example due to certain implants or severe claustrophobia) are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors see early treatment effects and tumor activity before changes appear on regular scans, helping guide care sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Early human work with hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate has shown promising ability to reveal tumor metabolism, but larger clinical validation is still ongoing.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Yan — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Li, Yan
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.