Hyperpolarised Combretastatins: Potential Bio-Marker for Vascular Targeting of Tumours.

Steven Reynolds¹, Joanne Bluff¹, Gillian M. Tozer¹, Martyn Paley¹

Combretastatin vascular targeting drug CA-4-P is a complementary approach to cancer therapy. For clinical evaluation of new agents we are developing bio-imaging markers to determine pharmakinetic and pharmadynamic response to rat tumour models. Using Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP) we have shown that CA-4-P can be ¹³C hyperpolarised and observed by in vitro ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. By measuring ¹³C T₁ relaxation times we discuss ¹³C labelling strategies to permit observation of this molecule and its daughter products in an in vivo tumour rat model.