New Jersey [US], January 5 (ANI): Water cycling across membrane transporters is a characteristic of cell metabolism and has the potential to be very diagnostic in the characterisation of tumours and other illnesses, according to a recent study by an Italian research team. Their findings, published in the journal Angewandte Chemie, present a novel MRI-based approach for evaluating water exchange, providing new insights into the degree of malignancy and the efficacy of therapies in mouse tumour models.
The ability to accurately detect and determine the malignancy of various tumour types is crucial for targeted and effective treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used technique for visualizing both temporal and spatial characteristics of tissues within the body. By subjecting patients to a strong magnetic field, the spins of protons align themselves, and radio waves can alter their precessions. The relaxation times of the protons, which vary depending on tissue composition, can be used to create detailed 3D images. To enhance contrast in these images, gadolinium contrast agents are often used as they tend to concentrate in tumourous areas with more permeable blood vessels.
However, these contrast agents only spread through the extracellular compartments of the tumor and cannot enter the tumor cells themselves. To address this limitation, the research team led by Giuseppe Ferrauto and Silvio Aime developed a new MRI method called Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST). Protons within biomolecules, such as creatine, constantly exchange with free water, and the chemical environment surrounding the protons determines the frequencies at which they can be magnetized. By selectively saturating creatine-bound protons and observing the resulting CEST signals, the researchers were able to draw conclusions about the concentration of specific molecules in cells, including those associated with cancer.
Crucially, the team also found that by administering a contrast agent and monitoring the changes in water protons’ magnetization within the tumor cells, they could assess the membrane’s permeability to water. Since tumor cells are typically more metabolically active and possess more transport proteins and channels, the degree of water exchange through the cell membrane serves as an indicator of tumor aggressiveness. This innovative approach was validated in mouse models for breast cancer, with observations of increased water exchange correlating with the tumors’ malignancy levels.
The study’s findings have significant implications for cancer phenotyping and therapy evaluation. By leveraging the insights gained from water exchange evaluation, clinicians can better understand and predict tumor behavior and responsiveness to various treatment modalities. The ability to differentiate areas of differing malignancy within tumors provides valuable information for personalized and targeted therapies. Furthermore, the immediate reduction in water permeability observed after administering the cytostatic drug Doxorubicin highlights the potential for monitoring treatment efficacy using this MRI-based method.
The research team’s novel approach opens up new possibilities for non-invasive and dynamic characterization of tumors, allowing for more precise and effective treatment strategies. As further studies are conducted and this technique is refined, it holds the promise of revolutionizing the way cancer is diagnosed, monitored, and treated.
