Steerable robotic laser treatment for brain tumors
Official title: Steerable Laser Interstitial Thermotherapy (SLIT) Robot for Brain Tumor Therapy
Funded at University of California Riverside · NIH-11172622 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is building a steerable robotic laser to better destroy glioblastoma and other brain tumors with minimally invasive probe placements.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $240,866 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EB033896-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11172622 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with glioblastoma or recurrent, hard-to-reach brain tumors who are not good candidates for open surgery would be the most likely candidates for this approach.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancer spread widely beyond the brain, those who require whole-brain treatments rather than localized ablation, or those who need standard surgical approaches likely would not benefit from this device during its early development.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, the team is creating a small robot that can guide a laser probe to multiple places inside a tumor so the heat treatment can cover irregular or multi-focal growths. The goal is to reach more tumor tissue while reducing damage to nearby healthy brain. The device will be developed and tested in the lab and in animal models before any human use. If those tests are successful, the approach could move toward clinical trials at specialized centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow more complete tumor destruction with less injury to healthy brain, which might improve symptoms and extend survival for some patients.
How similar studies have gone: Existing LITT systems are used at some centers and can help for small, well-defined brain tumors, but steering a laser to multiple tumor locations is a new approach currently in preclinical testing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Riverside
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sheng, Jun — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Sheng, Jun
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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.