Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Multianimal Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Tumor Measurements in Pancreatic Cancer Mouse Models
Published on: February 3, 2026
Imaging tumor variation in response to photodynamic therapy in pancreatic cancer xenograft models
Kimberley S Samkoe1, Alina Chen, Imran Rizvi
1Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA. samkoe@dartmouth.edu; pogue@dartmouth.edu
Purpose:
A treatment monitoring study investigated the differential effects of orthotopic pancreatic cancer models in response to interstitial photodynamic therapy (PDT), and the validity of using magnetic resonance imaging as a surrogate measure of response was assessed.
Methods And Materials:
Different orthotopic pancreatic cancer xenograft models (AsPC-1 and Panc-1) were used to represent the range of pathophysiology observed in human beings. Identical dose escalation studies (10, 20, and 40J/cm) using interstitial verteporfin PDT were performed, and magnetic resonance imaging with T2-weighted and T1-weighted contrast were used to monitor the total tumor volume and the vascular perfusion volume, respectively.
Results:
There was a significant amount of necrosis in the slower-growing Panc-1 tumor using high light dose, although complete necrosis was not observed. Lower doses were required for the same level of tumor kill in the faster-growing AsPC-1 cell line.
Conclusions:
The tumor growth rate and vascular pattern of the tumor affect the optimal PDT treatment regimen, with faster-growing tumors being relatively easier to treat. This highlights the fact that therapy in human beings shows a heterogeneous range of outcomes, and suggests a need for careful individualized treatment outcomes assessment in clinical work.
