National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 1R01NS143999-01A1

A Novel Imaging Strategy to Optimize Brain Tumor Immunotherapy

The award funds research to develop a novel PET imaging probe targeting perforin to monitor brain tumor immunotherapy response, aiming to improve treatment assessment and patient outcomes in glioblastoma and other brain cancers.

Description

This project aims to develop a novel imaging strategy to visualize and quantify the specific protein perforin, which immune cells use to kill cancer cells in brain tumors. The strategy involves developing a small molecule PET probe that crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds to perforin, allowing differentiation between response to immunotherapy and non-response. The project includes developing fluorine-containing small molecules targeting perforin, characterizing their brain penetration and stability, and assessing the utility of perforin-PET in mouse models of glioblastoma treated with immune checkpoint blockade. The goal is to improve response determination in brain tumor immunotherapy and patient management.

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