Tracking Listeria bacteria in the body using advanced imaging techniques
Official title: Monitoring Listeria in vivo using 18FDG and PET scan
Funded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine · NIH-10946950 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to use Listeria bacteria to help your immune system fight advanced pancreatic cancer, and it will use special imaging to see how well the treatment works after it's injected.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $431,970 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA292190-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10946950 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer who have previously received vaccinations that generated TT-specific memory T cells.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer or those who have not been vaccinated in childhood may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a new method to deliver a cancer treatment using Listeria bacteria, which can attract the body's immune cells to attack tumors. By using a special imaging technique called PET scan with a glucose analogue, the researchers aim to visualize the presence of Listeria in the body after it is injected. This approach is particularly focused on patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, as it seeks to improve the targeting of the immune response to the tumors. The study will explore the effectiveness of intraperitoneal injections of Listeria, a method not previously tested in patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to a more effective treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer by harnessing the immune system to target tumors.
How similar studies have gone: While Listeria has been used in cancer treatments for years, this specific approach of intraperitoneal injection and monitoring with PET scans is novel and has not been previously tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gravekamp, Claudia — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Gravekamp, Claudia
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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.