New inhaled MRI tracer could spot lung damage before it happens
NCT ID NCT06909201
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study is testing whether a special MRI scan using an inhaled gas called hyperpolarized xenon-129 can help doctors identify and predict lung damage caused by radiation therapy in lung cancer patients. The gas is breathed in instead of being injected like a typical contrast dye. The study will include 70 people: some healthy volunteers and some lung cancer patients receiving radiation. The main goal is to see if the scan is safe and can detect early signs of lung injury.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Hyperpolarized Xenon-129 (inhaled gas tracer for MRI)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this imaging method could help doctors predict and reduce lung damage from radiation therapy, improving quality of life for lung cancer patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early, small study focused on imaging, not treatment. The tracer is not FDA-approved, and the main goal is safety and feasibility, not proving clinical benefit.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
MD Anderson Cancer Center Participants
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Healthy control cohort: 1. Able to consistently hold breath for 10-12 seconds 2. No history of any pulmonary disorders (i.e., asthma, COPD, lung cancer, etc.) 3. Able to undergo MRI examination 4. At least 18 years of age 2. Lung cancer patient cohort: 1. Biopsy proven diagnosis of lung cancer 2. Receiving photon- or proton-based external beam radiotherapy as a part of treatment 3. Able to undergo MRI examination 4. Will receive follow-up at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) 5. Able to consistently hold breath for 10-12 seconds 6. Women and men with child-bearing potential agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and during the duration of study participation. 7. Able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document 8. At least 18 years of age The effects of HP 129Xe MRI on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason and because radiotherapy is known to be teratogenic, women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. (Refer to Pregnancy Assessment Policy MD Anderson Institutional Policy # CLN1114). This includes all female patients, between the onset of menses (as early as 8 years of age) and 55 years unless the patient presents with an applicable exclusionary factor which may be one of the following: * Postmenopausal (no menses in greater than or equal to 12 consecutive months). * History of hysterectomy or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. * Ovarian failure (Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Estradiol in menopausal range, who have received Whole Pelvic Radiation Therapy). * History of bilateral tubal ligation or another surgical sterilization procedure. * Approved methods of birth control are as follows: Hormonal contraception (i.e. birth control pills, injection, implant, transdermal patch, vaginal ring), Intrauterine device (IUD), Tubal Ligation or hysterectomy, Subject/Partner post vasectomy, Implantable or injectable contraceptives, and condoms plus spermicide. Not engaging in sexual activity for the total duration of the trial and the drug washout period is an acceptable practice; however periodic abstinence, the rhythm method, and the withdrawal method are not acceptable methods of birth control. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. Additionally, if female partners of male study participants become pregnant during study participation, the treating physician should be informed immediately. * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients unable to follow up at MD Anderson for routine clinical care 2. Inability or unwillingness to give informed consent 3. Relapsed disease or life expectancy less than 6 months at time of enrollment 4. Severe claustrophobia precluding MRI imaging active pulmonary infection 5. Pregnant women 6. Under 18 years of age
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
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