Related Experiment Videos
Applications of magnetic resonance in model systems: cancer therapeutics
J L Evelhoch1, R J Gillies, G S Karczmar
1Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. evelhoch@med.wayne.edu
Abstract:
The lack of information regarding the metabolism and pathophysiology of individual tumors limits, in part, both the development of new anti-cancer therapies and the optimal implementation of currently available treatments. Magnetic resonance [MR, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)] provides a powerful tool to assess many aspects of tumor metabolism and pathophysiology. Moreover, since this information can be obtained nondestructively, pre-clinical results from cellular or animal models are often easily translated into the clinic. This review presents selected examples of how MR has been used to identify metabolic changes associated with apoptosis, detect therapeutic response prior to a change in tumor volume, optimize the combination of metabolic inhibitors with chemotherapy and/or radiation, characterize and exploit the influence of tumor pH on the effectiveness of chemotherapy, characterize tumor reoxygenation and the effects of modifiers of tumor oxygenation in individual tumors, image transgene expression and assess the efficacy of gene therapy. These examples provide an overview of several of the areas in which cellular and animal model studies using MR have contributed to our understanding of the effects of treatment on tumor metabolism and pathophysiology and the importance of tumor metabolism and pathophysiology as determinants of therapeutic response.
Insights
Magnetic resonance (MR) techniques non-destructively assess tumor metabolism and pathophysiology. This aids in developing new cancer therapies and optimizing current treatments by understanding tumor behavior.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Oncology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Limited understanding of individual tumor metabolism and pathophysiology hinders anti-cancer therapy development.
- Current treatments can be suboptimal due to a lack of detailed tumor insights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the application of Magnetic Resonance (MR) techniques in assessing tumor metabolism and pathophysiology.
- To highlight how MR aids in pre-clinical to clinical translation of findings.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic Resonance (MR) including MRI, MRS, and EPR.
- Nondestructive assessment of tumor metabolism and pathophysiology.
- Utilizing cellular and animal models for pre-clinical studies.
Main Results:
- MR identifies metabolic changes linked to apoptosis.
- MR detects therapeutic response before tumor volume changes.
- MR optimizes combination therapies and characterizes tumor pH and oxygenation.
- MR images transgene expression and assesses gene therapy efficacy.
Conclusions:
- MR is a powerful tool for understanding tumor metabolism and pathophysiology.
- MR-based pre-clinical studies are readily translatable to clinical applications.
- Tumor metabolism and pathophysiology are critical determinants of therapeutic response.