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Advanced Imaging Tools to Assess Cancer Therapeutics in Pediatric

Award Number: R01CA269231
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/11/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2027

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Advanced Imaging Tools to Assess Cancer Therapeutics in Pediatric - Advanced Imaging Tools to Assess Cancer Therapeutics in Pediatric Patients Imaging tests are essential for cancer diagnoses in children. However, computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT are associated with considerable radiation exposure. Several large population studies have demonstrated that cumulative radiation doses from CT scans significantly increase the risk of children developing leukemia, thyroid cancer, and brain cancer later in life. Thus, there is an urgent need to reduce the radiation exposure of children caused by medical imaging procedures. To this end, we have developed a radiation-free imaging test for pediatric tumor staging, based on advanced whole body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB-DW MRI) technology. Our team was the first to integrate tumor physiology information (proton diffusion) with an MRI technique for anatomical orientation (nanoparticle- enhanced T1-weighted MRI), based on the concept of integrated PET/CT scans (Lancet Oncology). While DW MRI has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for cancer detection, the value of DW MRI for cancer therapy monitoring in children has not yet been extensively studied. Current approaches for assessing tumor therapy responses in children often measure changes in tumor metabolism using PET after the injection of radioactive glucose (18F-FDG). Previous comparisons of WB-DW MRI and 18F-FDG PET for cancer therapy monitoring have been inconclusive, possibly because the scans were not obtained at the same time. Thus, apparent differences may be due to differences in the timing of the scan. We are in a unique position to address this problem by simultaneously measuring therapy-induced changes in tumor metabolism and diffusion in children. These measurements have only recently become possible due to novel integrated PET/MRI technology, which is available at our pediatric hospital. The overall goal of our project is to compare the diagnostic value of DW MRI with that of 18F-FDG PET-based imaging tests for tumor therapy response assessment in children with cancer. In our pursuit of an improved and immediately clinically applicable approach for a minimally invasive imaging test, we will first apply artificial intelligence algorithms to develop ultra-low-dose 18F-FDG PET/MR scans. Next, we will determine the value of ultra-low- dose 18F-FDG PET and DW-MRI scans for monitoring tumor response to classical chemotherapy: We will determine which pediatric tumor type should be monitored with 18F-FDG PET only, DW-MRI only or a combined approach. Finally, we will determine the value of ultra-low-dose 18F-FDG PET and advanced DW- MRI techniques for monitoring tumor response to immunotherapies. Both radiation-free WB-DW MRI and ultra- low-dose 18F-FDG PET/MRI entail significantly less radiation exposure than traditional 18F-FDG PET/CT scans. The results of this project will yield customized cancer therapy response assessments for children with substantially reduced radiation exposure compared with current clinical imaging tests, thus eliminating associated risks of secondary cancer development later in life.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $625,750 )
2026	2026	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	5	7/9/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$625,750
														Subtotal = $625,750

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $806,398 )
2025	2025	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	4	8/4/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2025	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	4	6/17/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$625,750
2025	2025	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	002	4	8/6/2025	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$180,648
														Subtotal = $806,398

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $775,110 )
2024	2024	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	002	3	7/2/2024	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$180,648
2024	2024	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	3	6/28/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$594,462
2024	2023	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	2	5/6/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $775,110

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $626,039 )
2023	2023	THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	2	2/6/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$626,039
														Subtotal = $626,039

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $645,998 )
2022	2022	LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, THE	450 JANE STANFORD WAY	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	2/11/2022	NEW	$645,998
														Subtotal = $645,998

Grand Total All Awards = $3,479,295

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Advanced Imaging Tools to Assess Cancer Therapeutics in Pediatric

Award Number: R01CA269231

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/11/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2027

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