Noninvasive assessment of neoplastic angiogenesis: the role of magnetic resonance imaging.
The study of the effect of angiogenesis inhibitors on tumors is limited by our ability to assess their effect in vivo. Approaches that are currently employed have significant limitations. An ideal approach would employ a widely available noninvasive technology that can be used repeatedly to assess the antiangiogenic effect on the same lesions in a serial fashion. We describe here a specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based technique that we employ in the study of angiogenesis of brain tumors. This technique, called relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) mapping, is a noninvasive technique that adds just a few minutes to the conventional MRI study of a human brain tumor in the clinical setting. We hope that such a technique will serve as a model for developing new imaging techniques for the assessment of angiogenesis modulation in other tumor settings. We describe the technical basis and some examples of using rCBV mapping in neoplastic angiogenesis assessment, including a discussion of current limitations and future directions.
Abu-Hajir
Majed
M
Division of Neoplastic Diseases and Related Disorders, Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. abuhajir@mcw.edu
Rand
Scott D
SD
Krouwer
Hendrikus G
HG
Schmainda
Kathleen M
KM
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis*