Near-infrared imaging to help find and remove lung cancer during bronchoscopy and surgery
Project 1: Clinical Trials in Intraoperative Molecular Imaging of Non-Small Cell Cancer
This project uses special near-infrared dyes during bronchoscopy and lung surgery to help doctors spot cancer and check tumor margins in people with suspicious lung nodules.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132683 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have a lung nodule, this work adds safe fluorescent contrast agents to standard bronchoscopy and surgery so doctors can see cancer cells more clearly during the procedure. The team will test multiple near-infrared imaging agents and imaging approaches to help localize tumors, find additional small cancers or involved lymph nodes, and detect residual disease before finishing surgery. Procedures will be done as part of usual diagnostic bronchoscopy or therapeutic lung operations, with imaging run alongside standard clinical care. The effort is conducted by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania experienced in thoracic surgery, pathology, and clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with suspicious lung nodules who are scheduled for diagnostic bronchoscopy or for lung cancer surgery would be the best candidates.
Not a fit: People without lung nodules, those not undergoing bronchoscopy or surgery, or patients with conditions that prevent using the imaging agents are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could let clinicians find cancers more accurately during procedures, reduce missed tumors, and lower the need for repeat operations.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot trials of targeted fluorescent agents in surgery have shown promising improvements in tumor detection, and this project builds on that early clinical evidence.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singhal, Sunil — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Singhal, Sunil
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.