Sodium Magnetic Resonance Imaging used in Diagnosis of Tumors and in Assessing Response to Treatment
Lead Inventors: Jose Katz, M.D., Ph.D.Problem or Unmet Need:The ability to assess the chemotherapeutic efficacy against a tumor at an early stage has enormous utility. However, in vitro cytotoxicity assays are limited by the difficulty in obtaining fresh tumor tissue and culturing human cells in explant. In vivo assessment of chemotherapeutic efficacy is limited by the length of time required for a change in size in a measurable soft tissue lesion to occur, which can sometimes be weeks. In addition, some cancers metastasize predominantly in bone, and cannot be accurately measured by computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, some patients have ineffective drugs administered to them until clear progression is observed in a CT scan or a MRI, or clinical symptoms worsen. While apoptotic changes can be measured within hours in vitro, an in vivo assay of chemotherapeutic efficacy in real time would significantly assist in disease management by optimizing or discontinuing therapy in the patient. Changes in intracellular sodium have been described in a variety of biological systems during pathophysiological events such as, malignancy and response to chemotherapy. While sodium-MRI is a particularly useful tool for measuring these changes, its use has been limited due to the difficulty in discerning intracellular from extracellular populations of sodium nuclei and inability to use shift agents clinically. This invention describes a novel way of using sodium-MRI to detect populations of intracellular sodium nuclei, which are physiologically relevant to detecting tumors and monitoring their treatment. The researchers are able to do this by enhancing the contribution of intracellular sodium populations by weighting the MR images towards such populations. In addition, since this is done using single quantum pulse sequences, the invention is readily applicable in current clinical imaging systems.
Early detection of response to chemotherapy allows healthcare professionals to better manage the treatment of disease
Assessing intracellular sodium changes in vivo Assaying the efficacy of a chemotherapeutic treatment at an early stage Diagnosis of other pathophysiological conditions where sodium concentration is altered, such as, myocardial ischemia and infarction, arrhythmia and stroke
Changes in intracellular sodium have been described in a variety of biological systems during pathophysiological events such as, malignancy and response to chemotherapy. While sodium-MRI is a particularly useful tool for measuring these changes...
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