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MRI of the tumor microenvironment
Robert J Gillies1, Natarajan Raghunand, Gregory S Karczmar
1Department of Biochemistry, Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona HSC, Tucson, Arizona 85724-5024, USA. gilles@u.arizona.edu
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging : JMRI
|September 28, 2002
Summary
Tumor microenvironments are hostile due to hypoxia and acidity, impacting cancer therapy and metastasis. New imaging techniques, particularly nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), offer high-resolution insights into these hostile tumor conditions.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomedical Imaging
- Tumor Microenvironment
Background:
- Tumor microenvironments exhibit chaotic vasculature, leading to hypoxia and acidity.
- Hypoxia and acidity promote tumor progression and metastasis.
- These factors negatively impact antitumor therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review techniques for interrogating the tumor microenvironment.
- To highlight the application of these techniques in tumor biology.
- To emphasize nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approaches.
Main Methods:
- Non-destructive interrogation of perfusion, vascular distribution, pH, and pO(2) in living tissues.
- High-resolution, molecularly specific probes.
- Review of techniques including NMR, electron MR, optical, and radionuclear imaging.
Main Results:
- Studies using these methods provide new insights into the causes and consequences of the tumor microenvironment.
- Emerging techniques generate tumor image contrast via ill-defined mechanisms.
- Elucidation of these mechanisms will further advance understanding.
Conclusions:
- Advanced imaging techniques are crucial for understanding the tumor microenvironment.
- NMR and other methods offer high precision in assessing tumor characteristics.
- Further research into novel imaging mechanisms will yield significant insights.