2-hydroxyglutarate as a magnetic resonance biomarker for glioma subtyping

Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes are frequently found in gliomas and in a fraction of acute myeloid leukemia patients. This results in the production of an oncometabolite, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Glioma patients harboring IDH mutations have a longer survival than their wild-type counterparts. 2-HG has been detected noninvasively in gliomas with IDH mutations using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), suggesting its potential clinical relevance for identifying glioma subtypes with better prognosis. In this paper, the recent developments in the MRS detection of the 2-HG in gliomas are reviewed, including the therapeutic potentials and translational values.