Award
National Cancer Institute 5R01CA290014-03
Imaging tumor-associated macrophages in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using fluorine-19 MRI
Recipient
University of California, San Diego
Award Amount
$655,700.00
Ceiling
$655,700.00
Awarded
April 30, 2026
Identifier
5R01CA290014-03
NIH R01 grant awarded to University of California, San Diego to develop a fluorine-19 MRI imaging agent for tumor-associated macrophages in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, aiming to improve patient treatment monitoring.
Description
This project aims to develop a non-invasive imaging agent to detect inflammatory cells associated with head and neck cancers, specifically targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) using fluorine-19 MRI. The goal is to translate a fluorine-19 MRI technology to visualize TAM burden in patients with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). TAMs are linked to poor prognosis and immunosuppression, and monitoring them non-invasively could improve patient stratification and treatment outcomes.