METASTATIC CELLS DETECTION IN LUNGS USING HP HE AND TARGETED CONTRAST AGENT

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是 中心，不一定是研究者的机构。 我们开发了一种新的方法，使用超极化氦MRI和靶向造影剂来检测肺部转移癌细胞。我们的目标是建立我们的方法相对于其他临床可用技术，如PET和CT扫描的灵敏度和特异性。我们计划在注射造影剂LHRH-SPION后扫描乳腺肿瘤荷瘤小鼠。我们将使用10只已经用其他方式（CT和PET）成像并显示肺部转移癌细胞迹象的乳腺肿瘤小鼠。我们要求额外的5天MRI时间来完成上述标题的试点项目。在这段时间里，我们希望为高调的出版物生成必要的数据，以及为R01应用生成初步数据。以下是关于项目迄今为止取得的成就的更多细节。 根据美国癌症协会的数据，今年美国将有超过144万人被诊断患有癌症，超过56万人将死于癌症。这些患者的高死亡率归因于与更容易诊断的原发肿瘤同时发生的亚临床隐匿性微转移。因此，这些微转移细胞的搜索是一个重要的临床利益的问题。需要灵敏的非侵入性方法用于早期转移性疾病检测和监测后续治疗。 我们将研究重点放在MRI检测特异性肺转移瘤上。肺转移是常见的，并且最常发生于具有丰富的全身静脉引流的肿瘤，如肾癌、骨肉瘤、绒毛膜癌、黑色素瘤、睾丸畸胎瘤和甲状腺癌。然而，大多数肺转移来自常见的肿瘤，如乳腺癌、结肠直肠癌、前列腺癌、支气管癌、头颈癌和肾癌，当然还有肺癌。在所有死于癌症的患者中，20 - 54%存在肺转移，并且肺转移的检测在癌症患者的治疗中至关重要。目前的筛选技术 在肺部（细针抽吸（FNA）、支气管镜检查、痰细胞学检查、PET和CT是侵入性的和/或缺乏检测肺部微转移、单个播散细胞或小肿瘤细胞簇所需的灵敏度。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We developed a new method that uses Hyperpolarized Helium MRI and targeted contrast agent to detect metastatic cancer cells in lungs. We aim to establish the sensitivity and specificity of our method with respect to other clinically available techniques, such as PET and CT scan. We plan on scanning breast tumor bearing mice after they received an injection of our contrast agent LHRH-SPION. We will utilize 10 breast tumor mice that have already been imaged with other modalities (CT and PET) and have shown sign of metastatic cancer cells in lungs.We are requesting 5 days of additional MRI time to complete our pilot project of the title above. With this time we expect to generate the necessary data for a high-profile publication, as well as preliminary data for an R01 application. Below are additional details about the project achievements thus far. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.44 million people will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 560 thousand will die of it this year in the US. The high mortality rate in these patients has been attributed to the development of subclinical occult micrometastasis simultaneously with the more easily diagnosed primary tumor. Thus, the search for these micrometastatic cells is an issue of significant clinical interest. Sensitive non-invasive methods are needed both for early metastatic disease detection and to monitor subsequent treatments. We are focusing our investigation on the MRI detection of specifically targeted pulmonary metastases. Pulmonary metastases are common and most frequently occur with tumors that have rich systemic venous drainage, like renal cancers, bone sarcomas, choriocarcinomas, melanomas, testicular teratomas, and thyroid carcinomas. However most pulmonary metastases arise from common tumors, such as breast, colorectal, prostate, bronchial, head-and-neck, and renal and, of course, lung cancers. Pulmonary metastases are present in 20-54% of all patients who die of cancer, and detection of pulmonary metastases is crucial in the treatment of patients with cancer. Current screening techniques in lungs (fine-needle aspiration (FNA), bronchoscopy, sputum cytology, PET, and CT are invasive and/or lack the sensitivity necessary to detect micrometastases, single disseminated cells, or small tumor cell clusters in lungs.