# Imaging Prostate Cancer Immune Evasion using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI

> **NIH NIH K01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $132,303

## Abstract

Immunotherapy is a promising strategy for cancer patients, particularly for those nonresponsive to more
conventional therapeutic regimens. Quantitative imaging of immune evasion biomarkers can help identify
patients responsive to immunotherapy. Chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging
(CEST MRI) is a molecular imaging technology that is already being translated to humans. CEST MRI has the
unique ability to monitor multiple agents simultaneously through selectively labeling their exchangeable protons
with radiofrequency saturation, which can be encoded as “colors” similar to optical methods. We propose to
develop (1) agents with unique colors and (2) analysis methods to quantify these agents and generate
multicolor MR images. This award will support Dr. Aline Thomas in her transition to an independent research
career. Candidate Training: Dr. Thomas has a background in biomedical engineering, investigating factors
contributing to pathophysiology and regeneration failure in disease settings with an immune component using
material, computational, genetic (therapeutic and reporter genes), and through collaboration, conventional MRI
methods. With the guidance of her mentors, Dr. Thomas will learn how to develop clinically translatable CEST
agents and quantify their targets using post-processing methods to probe multiple cellular processes in vivo in
order to monitor cell behavior in disease and in response to therapy. She will also be trained in the practical
aspects of a leading a research program—lab management, trainee mentorship, conference presentation,
networking and fundraising—which are critical to her success as an independent investigator in the field of
Molecular Imaging. The proposed work will lead to the preparation of a R01 grant proposal. Research Plan: A
recognized mechanism of cancer to evade immunological attack is glutamine transport to deactivate (via PD-
L1) and to deprive energy (independent of PD-L1) from infiltrating immune cells. The central hypothesis is that
quantitative imaging of immune evasion mechanisms using CEST MRI can ultimately be used to help predict
patient response to immunotherapy. Dr. Thomas proposes to develop CEST MRI agents and detection
methods that can quantify glutamine transport and PD-L1 expression simultaneously. She will also develop
post-processing methods to quantify these agents. To validate their potential as complementary imaging
biomarkers of cancer immune evasion, she will evaluate their uptake in prostate cancer cell lines (in vitro;
cancerous: PC3, LNCaP, DU-145; noncancerous: RWPE-1 and RWPE-2) and in a prostate tumor model (in
vivo) and compare their uptake to conventional immune suppression (PD-L1 histology, flow cytometry,
cytokines) and immune evasion (surface marker expression, tumor infiltration of leukocytes) metrics. Aim 1:
Develop methods to visualize and quantify PD-L1 expression in prostate cancer. Aim 2: Develop methods to
visualize and quantify glutamine t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10759454
- **Project number:** 5K01EB030612-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Aline Thomas
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $132,303
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10759454

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10759454, Imaging Prostate Cancer Immune Evasion using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI (5K01EB030612-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10759454. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*