Non-invasive MRI to see tumor microstructure in the prostate
Official title: Enabling clinical tissue microstructure imaging as a diagnostic tool in wide-bore 3T MRI
Funded at Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC · NIH-11145170 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses advanced MRI techniques to help doctors see tiny tumor structures in the prostate so men facing possible prostate cancer might avoid some biopsies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Niskayuna, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,067,677 |
| NIH project number | 5U01EB034313-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145170 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be men undergoing prostate cancer workup—for example those with elevated PSA or suspicious findings on prior imaging who might otherwise be scheduled for biopsy.
✕Less likely to help
People without prostate disease, those who cannot have a 3T MRI (for example due to certain implants or severe claustrophobia), or those seeking treatment rather than diagnostic imaging may not benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would receive an advanced MRI scan that uses new diffusion techniques (called oscillating gradient spin echo or OGSE) on a wide-bore 3T scanner to image tissue microstructure. The team aims to measure how much of a prostate lesion is made of epithelium, stroma, and lumen, features that relate to cancer grade. Researchers will compare these MRI measurements with biopsy or pathology results to see how well the images match tissue samples. The goal is to make imaging that could reduce unnecessary or repeated biopsies and guide more precise biopsy sampling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce the number of invasive biopsies and give more precise information about tumor grade from imaging alone.
How similar studies have gone: Similar OGSE diffusion MRI approaches have been tried in whole-body clinical scanners with only modest success so far, and this project applies improved methods to boost performance.
Where this research is happening
-
Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC
Niskayuna, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Foo, Thomas K — Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC
- Study coordinator: Foo, Thomas K
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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.