Tiny cerium-oxide particles to make CT scans clearer and reduce IBD inflammation
Official title: Cerium oxide nanoparticles for CT imaging and catalytic therapeutic intervention in inflammatory bowel disease
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11251732 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing sugar-coated cerium-oxide nanoparticles to help CT scans pinpoint inflamed bowel tissue and to lower inflammation in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
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 | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $436,233 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB036942-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251732 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) who have active intestinal inflammation and are seeking clearer imaging or new treatment options would be the best match.
✕Less likely to help
People without IBD, those whose gut symptoms come from non-inflammatory causes, or patients with contraindications to nanoparticle agents (for example specific component allergies) may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you have IBD, this work aims to create tiny cerium-oxide particles coated with dextran that preferentially collect in inflamed areas of the gut so they show up strongly on CT scans. The team is testing whether these particles both improve imaging of active inflammation and act as catalytic antioxidants to reduce inflammation. In early lab and animal work the particles produced strong CT contrast, accumulated in inflamed large intestines, cleared rapidly from the body, and showed no major safety signals on blood tests and tissue checks. The project is advancing those findings toward approaches that could be studied in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could allow doctors to find inflamed bowel segments more accurately and deliver a targeted anti-inflammatory effect with potentially fewer systemic side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Early preclinical studies show promising imaging contrast and anti-inflammatory effects, but use of cerium-oxide nanoparticles for human IBD imaging and therapy remains novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cormode, David Peter — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Cormode, David Peter
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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.