Glow-in-the-Dark dye could help surgeons spot brain tumors
NCT ID NCT05746104
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-stage trial is testing whether a single low-dose injection of indocyanine green (ICG), a dye already approved for other uses, can help surgeons identify and remove brain or spinal cord tumors more precisely. About 105 adults with nervous system tumors will receive the dye on the day of surgery, and a special camera will be used to see if the tumor 'glows' compared to healthy tissue. The goal is to see if this same-day approach is safe and effective at guiding tumor removal.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Indocyanine green (ICG), an FDA-approved dye
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could give surgeons a real-time tool to better distinguish tumor from normal brain tissue during surgery, potentially improving how completely tumors are removed.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early Phase 1 trial with only 105 participants, so results are preliminary. The dye may not reliably highlight all tumor types, and the imaging system might not work well in all patients.
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 105 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2023
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
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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18 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: 1. Adult patients 18 years of age and older 2. Patients presenting with a nervous system tumor presumed to be resectable and at risk for local recurrence on pre-operative assessment 3. Good operative candidates, as determined by the treating physician and multidisciplinary team 4. Subjects capable of giving informed consent Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnant women, as determined by urinary or serum beta hCG within 48 hours of surgery 2. Subjects with a history of iodide allergies 3. Vulnerable patient populations 4. Patients unable to participate in the consent process 5. Patients with history of uncontrolled HTN (requiring ER admission or ≥ 3 BP medications)
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, United States