In vivo imaging of glucose uptake and metabolism in tumors

Abstract

Tumors display a greater reliance on glycolysis for energy production than normal tissues. We have developed a non-invasive method for imaging glucose uptake in vivo, which is based on magnetic resonance imaging, and allows the uptake of non-labeled glucose to be measured via the chemical exchange of protons between hydroxyl groups and water. This method differs from existing molecular imaging methods, as it permits detection of the delivery and uptake of a metabolically active compound at physiological quantities. We show that our technique, named glucose chemical exchange saturation transfer (glucoCEST), is sensitive to tumor glucose accumulation in colorectal tumor models, and can distinguish tumor types with differing metabolic characteristics and pathophysiology. The results of this study suggest that glucoCEST has potential as a useful and cost-effective method for characterizing disease and assessing response to therapy in the clinic.

PTEN regulates plasma membrane expression of glucose transporter 1 and glucose uptake in thyroid cancer cells

“…Imaging by FDG-PET has the potential to reveal unsuspected tumours, including thyroid tumours, commonly indicated as 'incidentaloma' because of their accidental discovery (Bogsrud et al 2010, Hsiao et al 2011, Pagano et al 2011, Bertagna et al 2012. Novel non-radioactive methods for imaging the glucose internalisation by cancer cells are being developed (Walker-Samuel et al 2013), underscoring the importance of glucose uptake as a diagnostic readout of cancer proliferation.…”

Downfield‐NOE‐suppressed amide‐CEST‐MRI at 7 Tesla provides a unique contrast in human glioblastoma

“…The power of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MR imaging as a marker for tumor diseases is the indirect detection of intracellular compounds like functional metabolites (1)(2)(3)(4) or mobile proteins (5,6) in vivo by use of the exchange processes with water pool protons (7). Two distinct saturation transfer (ST) effects apparent in vivo are attributed to protons of mobile proteins: at 3.5 ppm the backbone amide signals with their base catalyzed proton transfer (APT) and at -3.5 ppm the nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) mediated aliphatic proton magnetization transfer (so called exchangerelayed NOE or relayed-NOE (rNOE) ST) (8,9).…”

Studying neuroanatomy using MRI

“…The fastest way to acquire magnetization-transfer data is to use two acquisitions, with and without a MT saturation pulse, and thereafter calculate the magnetization transfer ratio as the percent signal change between the two acquisitions 39 . A variant of MT is Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) 40 , with application for detecting pH changes in stroke 41 and tumour delineation 42 .…”