# Imaging Agents for Inflammatory Components of Malignancy

> **NIH NIH P41** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $261,872

## Abstract

SUMMARY FOR TR&D 3
TR&D 3 of the BTRC will develop imaging agents to detect inflammation and immunity, with a focus on small
molecule PET agents to monitor immunotherapy, an increasing medical need. Inflammation has long been
recognized as a promoter of tumor growth. More recently, harnessing innate and adaptive immunity to treat
cancer through immune checkpoint inhibition and vaccines has captivated the community of cancer researchers
and clinicians alike. We will develop and disseminate agents that address two different aspects of cancer and its
relationships to inflammation and immunity, namely, checkpoint inhibition and complement. The immune
checkpoint protein programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor PD-1 are preferred targets for cancer
immunotherapy. PD-L1 is expressed by a variety of tumors, and its over-expression is induced in tumor cells to
adapt to tumor infiltrating cytotoxic T cells. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the best predictive biomarker
for therapeutic monitoring of PD-L1/PD-1 targeted therapies. However, PD-L1 IHC is fraught with use of
discordant antibodies, intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity of expression as well as limited bio-specimen
availability such that we believe non-invasive imaging can help. Furthermore, despite the promise of immune
checkpoint therapy, the majority of patients do not respond for reasons unclear. The complement system is
central to recruiting inflammatory cells and promoting release of factors that can promote tumor growth and
progression, confounding immunotherapy. We will synthesize, validate and disseminate agents targeting PD-L1
(Aim 1) and complement receptors C3aR and C5aR (Aim 2), which are bound by their cognate tumor-promoting
anaphylatoxins. In Aim 3 we will validate – with correlation to post-imaging surgical tissue – a current BTRC lead
PD-L1 imaging agent in patients undergoing immunotherapy for pancreas cancer through support from the
Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy. Once validated in this ultimate fashion we will be confident to
disseminate that agent for human studies elsewhere. TR&D 3 will also serve as the Clinical Validation Core, a
hub that will disseminate not only valuable new human agents as noted above, but will also provide precursor
and standard for other agents, allow cross-referencing of BTRC INDs and provide analysis to meet the evolving
needs of the driving Collaborative Projects and service recipients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984357
- **Project number:** 5P41EB024495-04
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MARTIN G POMPER
- **Activity code:** P41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $261,872
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-15 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984357

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984357, Imaging Agents for Inflammatory Components of Malignancy (5P41EB024495-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984357. Licensed CC0.

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