Conny F. Waschkies1,2, Theresia F. Reding1, Gitta Maria Seleznik1, Udo Ungethuem1, and Rolf Graf1
1Division of Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH and University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Few preclinical studies rely on MRI to monitor pancreatic tissue changes
in commensurate animal models, mostly due to inherently low conspicuity of the
rodent pancreas. Pancreatic inflammation is a risk factor for pancreatic ductal
adenocarcinoma development, and its initiation is linked to activating
mutations in KRAS oncogene, known as the KPC mouse model. In the present study we demonstrate the
potential of preclinical MRI to visualize the murine pancreas and its changes
associated with cellular transformations in this mouse model of pancreatic
carcinogenesis.
