Isabelle Iltis1,
Jeunghwan Choi2, Manda Vollmers1, Mithun Shenoi2,
John Bischof2, Gregory J. Metzger1
1Radiology,
Center for Magnetic Resonance Research - University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN, United States; 2Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Bioheat and Mass Transfer Laboratory - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
MN, United States
Pre-treatment of tumors using TNF- &[alpha] based nanoparticles is a promising approach to improve the outcome of conventional (e.g., radiation therapy, chemotherapy, thermal therapies) treatment. The intravenous injection of nanoparticles leads to a set of physiological events specifically in the tumor (such as decreased local perfusion and increased interstitial space) known as preconditioning. To be used in clinical routine, methods for measuring pre-conditioning in vivo are highly desirable. In this work, we show in a mouse model of prostate cancer that DCE-MRI, as used routinely in patients, is an excellent candidate to assess the effects of preconditioning in vivo.