Project Grant R61NS142484

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded The General Hospital Corporation (doing business as Massachusetts General Hospital) $2,001,831 on August 20, 2026, to validate [18F]3F4AP PET as a biomarker for peripheral nerve injuries under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853).

The award funds a phased R61/R33 study to develop and validate [18F]3F4AP, a novel PET radioligand, for detecting and quantifying peripheral nerve injuries—a clinical need currently unmet by traditional examinations, standard neurophysiological tests, and existing imaging methods. In the R61 phase, the recipient will test whether [18F]3F4AP can reliably detect overexpressed potassium channels in demyelinated axons using state-of-the-art PET/MRI and high-resolution organ-specific PET scanners in patients with upper or lower limb peripheral nerve injuries, radiculopathies, and plexus injuries. This phase establishes optimal imaging parameters and assesses initial diagnostic accuracy in well-characterized incomplete peripheral nerve injuries. The R33 phase expands the study to a broader patient cohort with peripheral nerve injuries of uncertain diagnosis or prognosis, validating the radioligand's ability to detect injuries across a range of severities and chronicities and comparing its diagnostic performance against existing tools. By the R33 conclusion, the project aims to establish [18F]3F4AP PET as a reliable diagnostic modality for peripheral nerve injuries, positioning it for further analytical and clinical validation. The investigational tracer is available at Massachusetts General Hospital for human research.

Performance is located in Boston, Massachusetts. The period of performance runs from August 20, 2026, through June 30, 2029. The obligated amount is $2,001,831.