# Magnetic Particle Imaging to Track T Cells in Molecular Guided T Cell Therapy for LBDs

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · 2024 · $381,250

## Abstract

Project Summary
Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) immunotherapy holds great promise in treating various diseases, including cancer
and neurodegenerative disorders like Lewy Body Dementia (LBD). A critical challenge in advancing ACT
therapies is the non-invasive tracking of therapeutic cells to assess their effectiveness and safety. The parent
R01 (R01EB031224) focuses on leveraging Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) for tracking ACT T cells in cancer
therapies. This Administrative Supplement aims to extend this work to track Molecular Guided T Cell Therapy
(MCT) in preclinical models of LBD, a neurodegenerative condition with no current disease-modifying
interventions.
Two primary aims are proposed:
Aim 1. Evaluate the Dynamics of MCT Trafficking in a Preclinical Model of LBD: This aim focuses on using
MPI tracers developed under the parent R01 to label MCT cells, facilitating non-invasive tracking of these cells
in the brain. The goal is to understand how MCT cells distribute and persist in target regions, thereby providing
insights into their therapeutic potential.
Aim 2. Correlate MPI Signal to α-Synuclein Pathology Burden: This aim seeks to establish a relationship
between the MPI signals generated by labeled MCT cells and the subsequent burden of pathological α-synuclein
in the brain, a hallmark of LBD. This correlation could offer a predictive measure of therapeutic effectiveness and
survival outcomes in treated animals.
The proposed work aligns with the goals of the Administrative Supplement to Help Develop Alzheimer's Focused
NIH Grants (NOT-AG-23-032) by contributing to the development of non-invasive techniques to advance our
understanding of T cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. Achieving the proposed aims will
establish MPI as a robust tool for non-invasively tracking therapeutic cells in the central nervous system, thereby
facilitating the development and optimization of ACT therapies in the context of LBD and potentially other α-
synucleinopathies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10937192
- **Project number:** 3R01EB031224-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
- **Principal Investigator:** Carlos M Rinaldi-Ramos
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $381,250
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-05-15 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10937192

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10937192, Magnetic Particle Imaging to Track T Cells in Molecular Guided T Cell Therapy for LBDs (3R01EB031224-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10937192. Licensed CC0.

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