Galia Tsarfaty1, Ilan
Tsarfaty2, Sari Natan2, Eli Konen1, Tammar
Kushnir1
1Dept. of
Diagnostic Imaging, MRI Unit, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer,
Israel; 2Department of Human Microbiology, Sackler School of
Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Met tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) play an important role in a variety of human cancers. HGF/SF induce diverse metabolic alteration including increase in calcium intake to the tumor cells. MEMRI enables monitoring functional cellular Ca+2 intake, via in-vivo mapping of Mn+2 ions that enter the cells due to the permeability of voltage-gated calcium channels.