title: In vivo MRI of cancer cell fate at the single-cell level in a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis to the brain.
abstract: Metastasis (the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to secondary organs) is responsible for most cancer deaths. The ability to follow the fate of a population of tumor cells over time in an experimental animal would provide a powerful new way to monitor the metastatic process. Here we describe a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that permits the tracking of breast cancer cells in a mouse model of brain metastasis at the single-cell level. Cancer cells that were injected into the left ventricle of the mouse heart and then delivered to the brain were detectable on MR images. This allowed the visualization of the initial delivery and distribution of cells, as well as the growth of tumors from a subset of these cells within the whole intact brain volume. The ability to follow the metastatic process from the single-cell stage through metastatic growth, and to quantify and monitor the presence of solitary undivided cells will facilitate progress in understanding the mechanisms of brain metastasis and tumor dormancy, and the development of therapeutics to treat this disease.
authors.affiliation: Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heyn
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ronald
authors.forename: Soha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ramadan
authors.forename: Jonatan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Snir
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Lisa T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mikulis
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Julie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bronder
authors.forename: Patricia S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Steeg
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Ian C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Ann F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rutt
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*