Understanding immune responses in cancer treatment using advanced imaging techniques
Delineating Functional Immunity via Image-Guided PET
This study is looking at a new way to see how well your immune system is working in tumors, using special imaging techniques that could help doctors figure out if immunotherapy will be effective for you before you start treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10908267 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving cancer immunotherapy by developing non-invasive imaging techniques to monitor immune activity within tumors. By using positron emission tomography (PET) tracers that target interferon-γ, a key marker of immune response, the study aims to predict how well patients will respond to immunotherapy before treatment begins. The approach utilizes genetically diverse mouse models to simulate human responses, allowing researchers to better understand the relationship between immune activity and treatment outcomes. This innovative method could help identify which patients are most likely to benefit from specific immunotherapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are patients with cancers that are treated with immunotherapy, particularly those who may not have responded well to previous treatments.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers that do not involve immune checkpoint inhibitors or those who are not candidates for immunotherapy may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more personalized cancer treatments by accurately predicting patient responses to immunotherapy.
How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown promising results using similar imaging techniques to monitor immune responses, indicating potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
Detroit, United States
- Wayne State University — Detroit, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Viola, Nerissa Therese — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Viola, Nerissa Therese
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 below.