Simultaneous Multinuclear Metabolic MRI in Newly Diagnosed or Recurrent Glioma

November 12, 2025 updated by: Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Simultaneous Multinuclear (Na+/H+) Metabolic MRI in Brain Tumors

This clinical trial constructs and tests a novel multinuclear metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence in patients with glioma (brain tumor) that is newly diagnosed or has come back (recurrent). This trial aims to develop new diagnostic imaging technology that may bridge gaps between early detection and diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in brain cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Construct and test a novel multinuclear Na+-H+ metabolic MRI sequence with sensitivity to Sodium (Na+) concentration, Potential of Hydrogen (pH), and oxygen (O2).

II. Correlate Na+-, pH-, and O2-weighted MR image measurements with sodium-proton exchanger isoform-1 (NHE1) immunohistochemistry (IHC), bioenergetics, and gene expression using stereotactic image-guided biopsies from human brain tumors.

III. Quantify changes in Na+-, pH-, and O2-weighted MR images after neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) and explore associated changes in tumor biology.

OUTLINE:

AIM 1: Previous scan data from healthy subjects is collected and analyzed.

AIM 2: Patients undergo MRI. Patients also undergo collection of tissue samples for IHC analysis.

AIM 3: Patients undergo multinuclear metabolic imaging before and after immunotherapy and prior to surgical resection.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
36

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
        • UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • AIM 1: Healthy volunteers with no evidence of brain tumors or neurologic disease
  • AIM 1: Age 18+
  • AIM 2: Newly diagnosed or recurrent suspected or confirmed glioma (low or high grade)
  • AIM 2: 10 IDH mutant and 10 IDH wild type gliomas
  • AIM 2: Clinically indicated for resective surgery or biopsy
  • AIM 2: Age 18+
  • AIM 2: Tumor size > 1x1x1 cm (measurable)
  • AIM 3: Recurrent glioma enrolled in an immunotherapy trial or clinically indicated to receive immunotherapy including anti-PD1
  • AIM 3: Age 18+

Exclusion Criteria:

  • AIM 1: Cannot safely perform an MRI
  • AIM 1: Age < 18
  • AIM 2: Cannot safely perform an MRI or use of MRI contrast agents
  • AIM 2: Age < 18
  • AIM 3: Cannot safely perform an MRI or use of MRI contrast agents
  • AIM 3: Age < 18

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Basic science (MRI, metabolic imaging, tissue collection)

AIM 1: Previous scan data from healthy subjects is collected and analyzed.

AIM 2: Patients undergo MRI. Patients also undergo collection of tissue samples for IHC analysis.

AIM 3: Patients undergo multinuclear metabolic imaging before and after immunotherapy and prior to surgical resection.
Procedure: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Undergo MRI
Other Names:
  • MRI
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan
  • Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
  • MR Imaging
  • MRI Scan
  • NMR Imaging
  • NMRI
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Procedure: Biospecimen Collection
Undergo collection of tissue samples
Other Names:
  • Biological Sample Collection
Procedure: Diagnostic Imaging
Undergo multinuclear metabolic imaging
Other Names:
  • Medical Imaging

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total sodium concentration
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Will calculate NaT using standard methodology and normalize it to ocular Na+ concentration, a constant 135 mmol/l. Will then test whether healthy tissue has a coefficient of variance (COV) of < 10% across all 20 subjects.
Up to 5 years
NHE1 expression
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Will create a comprehensive map of genes/pathways and unique cell subsets associated with NHE1 expression.
Up to 5 years
Tumor metabolism
Time Frame: Up to 5 years
Will examine the correlation between baseline tumor metabolism and change in metabolism with respect to overall survival using Cox multivariable regression.
Up to 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
United States Department of Defense

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Benjamin M Ellingson, UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 10, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 10, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 7, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 7, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 16, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 14, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 12, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 21-000514
  • NCI-2021-08698 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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