PET scans to track glutamine use in triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: PET Imaging of Glutamine Metabolism and Glutamate Transport to Guide Metabolically Targeted Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11324557 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses special PET scans with an amino-acid tracer to see how triple-negative breast cancers use glutamine so doctors can better match metabolism-targeted treatments to patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | May 19, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $522,750 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266285-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324557 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with triple-negative breast cancer, especially those with aggressive or treatment-resistant tumors who can undergo PET imaging.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other breast cancer subtypes, those who cannot have PET scans, or tumors that do not rely on glutamine metabolism are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will use dynamic PET imaging with an amino-acid tracer ([18F]fluciclovine) to measure tumor glutamine levels and glutamate transport. They will develop and validate imaging markers that reflect how much the tumor depends on glutamine and how it moves glutamate in and out of cancer cells. Work will include laboratory models and translation to patient imaging so the markers can help guide use of drugs that block glutamine metabolism and glutamate transport. The goal is to give doctors a noninvasive way to identify tumors most likely to respond to these metabolism-targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify which triple-negative breast cancer patients are likely to benefit from therapies that block glutamine metabolism and allow doctors to monitor treatment response.
How similar studies have gone: Drugs that block glutamine metabolism (GLS inhibitors) have been tested in early trials with modest results, and using PET imaging to guide selection is a newer approach supported by promising preclinical data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mankoff, David a. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Mankoff, David a.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving Targeted Therapy for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
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Using PET imaging to understand glutamine metabolism in triple-negative breast cancer
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This study is testing a new treatment for triple-negative breast cancer that uses tiny particles to deliver medicine directly to cancer cells, helping to stop them from spreading and improving how well the treatment works.
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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.