PET scans to detect harmful reactive oxygen (ROS) in the body
PET Tracers for Imaging ROS Activity
Developing new PET imaging agents that light up where damaging reactive oxygen molecules cause inflammation or tissue injury.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179206 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project develops PET tracers that bind to reactive oxygen species (ROS) so areas of oxidative stress show up on scans. In lab models and human cells the team used a lead tracer called 68Ga-Galuminox to image lung inflammation, kidney injury, and chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer bone metastases, and it reports mitochondrial ROS in human cells. They are making alternative versions with copper‑64 or fluorine‑18 for improved image quality and designing a small tracer (18F-SLN128) intended to reach the brain. The group aims to move these tracers toward human dosimetry and safety testing so they could be used in patient imaging.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with acute lung injury or ARDS, patients with cancers such as breast cancer bone metastases, those with suspected kidney injury, or healthy volunteers for imaging safety and dosimetry studies.
Not a fit: People whose conditions are unrelated to ROS-driven inflammation or those needing immediate therapy instead of diagnostic imaging may not benefit, and the lead tracer does not cross the blood–brain barrier so it would not help for many brain conditions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tracers could let doctors see oxidative stress in organs noninvasively, improving diagnosis and tracking of inflammatory lung injury, kidney damage, heart disease, and some cancer changes.
How similar studies have performed: Related ROS-sensitive imaging probes have shown promising results in animal and cell studies, but translation to routine human use remains largely unproven and this work is partly novel.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sharma, Vijay — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Sharma, Vijay
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.