Glioblastoma are notorious for their highly invasive growth, diffusely infiltrating adjacent brain structures that precludes complete resection, and is a major obstacle for cure. To characterize this "invisible" tumor part, we designed a high resolution multimodal imaging approach assessing in vivo the metabolism of invasively growing glioma xenografts in the mouse brain. Animals were subjected longitudinally to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and H spectroscopy (MRS) at ultra high field (14.1 Tesla) that allowed the measurement of 16 metabolic biomarkers to characterize the metabolic profiles. As expected, the neuronal functionality was progressively compromised as indicated by decreasing N-acetyl aspartate, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid and reduced neuronal TCA cycle (-58%) and neurotransmission (-50%). The dynamic metabolic changes observed, captured differences in invasive growth that was modulated by re-expression of the tumor suppressor gene WNT inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) in the orthotopic xenografts that attenuates invasion. At late stage mice were subjected to C MRS with infusion of [1,6- C]glucose and FDG positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify cell-specific metabolic fluxes involved in glucose metabolism. Most interestingly, this provided the first in vivo evidence for significant glucose oxidation in glioma cells. This suggests that the infiltrative front of glioma does not undergo the glycolytic switch per se, but that environmental triggers may induce metabolic reprograming of tumor cells.

In vivo C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) enables the investigation of cerebral metabolic compartmentation while, e.g. infusingC-labeled glucose. Metabolic flux analysis of C turnover previously yielded quantitative information of glutamate and glutamine metabolism in humans and rats, while the application to in vivo mouse brain remains exceedingly challenging. In the present study,C direct detection at 14.1 T provided highly resolved in vivo spectra of the mouse brain while infusing [1,6-C]glucose for up to 5 h. C incorporation to glutamate and glutamine C4, C3, and C2 and aspartate C3 were detected dynamically and fitted to a two-compartment model: flux estimation of neuron-glial metabolism included tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) flux in astrocytes (V = 0.16 ± 0.03 µmol/g/min) and neurons (V= 0.56 ± 0.03 µmol/g/min), pyruvate carboxylase activity (V = 0.041 ± 0.003 µmol/g/min) and neurotransmission rate (V = 0.084 ± 0.008 µmol/g/min), resulting in a cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMR) of 0.38 ± 0.02 µmol/g/min, in excellent agreement with that determined with concomitant F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET).We conclude that modeling of neuron-glial metabolism in vivo is accessible in the mouse brain from C direct detection with an unprecedented spatial resolution under [1,6-C]glucose infusion.

C NMR studies of the mouse brain are only recently appearing in the field due to the numerous challenges linked to the small mouse brain volume and the difficulty to follow the mouse physiological parameters within the NMR system during the infusion experiment. This review will present the progresses in the quest for a higher in vivo 13 C signal-to-noise ratio up to the present state of the art techniques, which made it feasible to assess glucose metabolism in different regions of the mouse brain. We describe how experimental results were integrated into suitable compartmental models and how a deep understanding of cerebral metabolism depends on the reliable detection of 13 C in the different molecules and carbon positions.

The invasive behavior of glioblastoma, the most aggressive primary brain tumor, is considered highly relevant for tumor recurrence. However, the invasion zone is difficult to visualize by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and is protected by the blood brain barrier, posing a particular challenge for treatment. We report biological features of invasive growth accompanying tumor progression and invasion based on associated metabolic and transcriptomic changes observed in patient derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) in the mouse and the corresponding patients’ tumors. The evolution of metabolic changes, followed in vivo longitudinally by 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS) at ultra-high field, reflected growth and the invasive properties of the human glioblastoma transplanted into the brains of mice (PDOX). Comparison of MRS derived metabolite signatures, reflecting temporal changes of tumor development and invasion in PDOX, revealed high similarity to spatial metabolite signatures of combined multi-voxel MRS analyses sampled across different areas of the patients’ tumors. Pathway analyses of the transcriptome associated with the metabolite profiles of the PDOX, identified molecular signatures of invasion, comprising extracellular matrix degradation and reorganization, growth factor binding, and vascular remodeling. Specific analysis of expression signatures from the invaded mouse brain, revealed extent of invasion dependent induction of immune response, recapitulating respective signatures observed in glioblastoma. Integrating metabolic profiles and gene expression of highly invasive PDOX provided insights into progression and invasion associated mechanisms of extracellular matrix remodeling that is essential for cell–cell communication and regulation of cellular processes. Structural changes and biochemical properties of the extracellular matrix are of importance for the biological behavior of tumors and may be druggable. Ultra-high field MRS reveals to be suitable for in vivo monitoring of progression in the non-enhancing infiltration zone of glioblastoma.

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The invasive behavior of glioblastoma, the most aggressive primary brain tumor, is considered highly relevant for tumor recurrence. However, the invasion zone is difficult to visualize by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and is protected by the blood brain barrier, posing a particular challenge for treatment. We report biological features of invasive growth accompanying tumor progression and invasion based on associated metabolic and transcriptomic changes observed in patient derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) in the mouse and the corresponding patients tumors. The evolution of metabolic changes, followed in vivo longitudinally by 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) at ultra-high field, reflected growth and the invasive properties of the human glioblastoma transplanted into the brains of mice (PDOX). Comparison of MRS derived metabolite signatures, reflecting temporal changes of tumor development and invasion in PDOX, revealed high similarity to spatial metabolite signatures of combined multi-voxel MRS analyses sampled across different areas of the patients tumors. Pathway analyses of the transcriptome associated with the metabolite profiles of the PDOX, identified molecular signatures of invasion, comprising extracellular matrix degradation and reorganization, growth factor binding, and vascular remodeling. Specific analysis of expression signatures from the invaded mouse brain, revealed extent of invasion dependent induction of immune response, recapitulating respective signatures observed in glioblastoma. Integrating metabolic profiles and gene expression of highly invasive PDOX provided insights into progression and invasion associated mechanisms of extracellular matrix remodeling that is essential for cell-cell communication and regulation of cellular processes. Structural changes and biochemical properties of the extracellular matrix are of importance for the biological behavior of tumors and may be druggable. Ultra-high field MRS reveals to be suitable for in vivo monitoring of progression in the non-enhancing infiltration zone of glioblastoma.

Background The invasive behavior of glioblastoma is considered highly relevant for recurrence. However, the invasion zone is difficult to visualize, typically lies outside the resected and irradiated area, and is protected by the blood brain barrier, posing a particular challenge for treatment. We present biological features of invasive growth accompanying tumor progression and invasion based on associated metabolic and transcriptomic changes in patient derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) and corresponding patients. Methods Patients with suspected glioblastoma were enrolled (NCT02904525) and underwent 1H-MR spectroscopy and imaging (1H-MRS/I, 7T). Tissue obtained at surgery was transplanted orthotopically into immune-compromised mice. Longitudinal follow-up was performed by 1H-MRS/I (14.1T) on the injected and the contralateral side. The PDOX, the corresponding contralateral side, and the original human tumors underwent RNA-sequencing. Results The temporal changes of the metabolite profiles characterized the kinetics of invasive growth of PDOX, and were patient specific. Comparison of 1H-MRS derived metabolite signatures, reflecting temporal changes of tumor development and invasion in PDOX, revealed high similarity to spatial metabolite signatures of combined multi-voxel analyses of the patients’ tumors. Associations between the metabolite profiles and the combined transcriptome of the xenografts and the host, reflected molecular signatures of invasion, comprising extracellular matrix degradation and reorganization, growth factor binding, and vascular remodeling. Conclusion Integrating metabolic profiles and gene expression of highly invasive PDOX allows in vivo monitoring of progression in the non-enhancing tumor infiltration zone and provides insights into the remodeling of the extracellular matrix that is essential for cell-cell communication and regulation of cellular processes. The changes of the structural and biochemical properties of the extracellular matrix are of importance for the biological behavior of the tumors and may be subjected to therapeutic targeting.