Understanding brain tumor metabolism with advanced carbon tracing
Official title: Quantitation of nutrient metabolism in brain tumor patients using advanced 13C isotopomer technology
Funded at Methodist Hospital Research Institute · NIH-11398098 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how brain tumor cells use nutrients like acetate and ketone bodies for energy, to help improve therapies for patients with gliomas and brain metastases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $364,129 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA272763-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398098 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with malignant brain tumors (e.g., gliomas or brain metastases) who could participate in metabolic tracing studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without brain tumors or those unable to undergo biopsy or metabolic tracing procedures may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study metabolism in real tumors from patients using advanced 13C isotopomer technology to trace how nutrients feed the cancer’s energy and building blocks. They aim to see if acetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate are widely used by different gliomas, and whether these nutrients contribute to key metabolic byproducts in IDH-mutant tumors. The work builds on pilot data and will test preclinical effects of small molecule interventions that could alter tumor metabolism. Findings could inform future treatments that target tumor energy production in a patient-specific way.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of tumor metabolism could lead to new metabolic therapies or combination strategies that improve survival and quality of life for brain cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data show acetate utilization in brain tumors; this study seeks to confirm and expand on those findings in a broader patient group.
Where this research is happening
-
Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pichumani, Kumar — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Pichumani, Kumar
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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.