New imaging agent could light up brain tumors
NCT ID NCT03739411
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study is testing whether a special MRI dye called hyperpolarized pyruvate is safe and can help doctors see gliomas more clearly. About 140 adults with suspected or confirmed glioma will receive the dye and undergo MRI scans. The goal is to check for side effects and see if the dye improves tumor detection compared to standard imaging.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Hyperpolarized Carbon C 13 Pyruvate
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this imaging technique could help doctors better detect and diagnose gliomas, potentially guiding treatment decisions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase pilot study focused on safety and feasibility, not treatment. The imaging agent may not provide clear benefits over standard MRI, and side effects are possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2015
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
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.
- Ages
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19 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: For Participants in Cohort 1: Suspected or histologically proven glioma who have evidence of evaluable disease based on a prior magnetic resonance (MR) scan. For Participants in Cohort 2: Histologically proven glioma who will be undergoing treatment. To be included in the study all subjects must also meet the following criteria: 1. Participants must be \> 18 years old and with a life expectancy \> 12 weeks. 2. Participants must have a Karnofsky performance status of ≥ 60. 3. Participants must have adequate renal function (creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL) before starting therapy. This tests must be performed within 60 days prior to Hyperpolarized Imaging scan. 4. Participants must not have any significant medical illnesses that in the investigator's opinion cannot be adequately controlled with appropriate therapy, would compromise the patient's ability to tolerate the imaging examination or any disease that will obscure toxicity or dangerously alter response to the imaging agent. 5. Participants must not have New York Heart Association (NYHA) Grade II or greater congestive heart failure 6. Participants must not have a history of myocardial infarction or unstable angina within 12 months prior to study enrollment. 7. This study was designed to include women and minorities, but was not designed to measure differences of intervention effects. Males and females will be recruited with no preference to gender. Minorities will actively be recruited to participate. No exclusion to this study will be based on race. 8. Participants must sign an informed consent indicating that they are aware of the investigational nature of this study. Patients must sign an authorization for the release of their protected health information. 9. Participants may not be known to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive. HIV testing is not required for study participation. 10. Participants must not have a history of any other cancer (except non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in-situ of the cervix), unless in complete remission and off all therapy for that disease for a minimum of 3 years. 11. Participants must not be pregnant or breast feeding. Women of childbearing potential are required to obtain a negative pregnancy test within 14 days of Hyperpolarized Imaging scan. Effective contraception (men and women) must be used in subjects of child-bearing potential. Exclusion Criteria: 1\. Participants must be excluded from participating in this study if they are not able to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures.
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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 study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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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
Show contact details
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Locations
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University of California, San Francisco
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94143, United States
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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