Using light on the spine to help medicines reach spinal cord tumors
Enabling the therapeutic delivery for spinal cord glioma by epidural light-guided modulation of blood-spinal-cord barrier
This project uses a light-guided, minimally invasive method to help cancer drugs reach spinal cord gliomas for people with intramedullary spinal cord tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11266177 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will develop a minimally invasive technique that applies light over the spine to temporarily open the blood–spinal-cord barrier so cancer medicines can enter spinal cord tumors. The team plans to combine epidural optical guidance with localized drug delivery and will test safety and drug uptake in preclinical models and human tissue. Researchers will measure drug levels in spinal cord tissue and monitor for signs of spinal cord injury to refine targeting and dosing. If the method looks safe and effective in these studies, the goal is to move toward clinical trials for people with hard-to-treat spinal cord gliomas.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with intramedullary spinal cord gliomas, particularly those with diffuse or unresectable tumors or recurrent disease, would be the ideal candidates for this approach.
Not a fit: Patients with non-glioma spinal tumors, tumors mainly outside the spinal cord parenchyma, or those unable to undergo minimally invasive epidural procedures may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could allow effective drug treatments to reach spinal cord gliomas that are currently unreachable and fatal.
How similar studies have performed: Focused ultrasound has been used to open the blood–brain barrier in brain tumor trials, but applying epidural light to modulate the blood–spinal-cord barrier is a novel approach not yet established in humans.
Where this research is happening
Richardson, United States
- University of Texas Dallas — Richardson, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qin, Zhenpeng — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Qin, Zhenpeng
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.