Tammy Kalber1, John Pugh2, Nazila Kamaly3, Jose Bunch2, Jimmy Bell1, Andrew Miller3, Cameron McLeod2
1Metabolite and Molecular Imaging Group, ISD, MRC CSC, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London, UK; 2Centre for Analytical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; 3Imperial College Genetic Therapies Centre, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London, UK
Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP MS) was used to map the distribution of Gadolinium (Gd) in solid tumour tissues a various time points after inoculation of three different Gd containing contrast agents (targeted and non-targeted). The Gd maps were then compared to MR images of the same tumour at the same time point, and Gd maps correlated well with signal intensity changes in MR. However, LA-ICP MS was able to detect substantial amounts of Gd within tumour tissue although no signal change was apparent. It was also shown that specific targeting improves the correlation between both techniques.