We studied the effect of pre-existing inflammation on the genesis of brain metastases using MRI. Molecular MRI enhanced with VCAM-1 targeted microparticles of iron oxide enable the assessment of pre-existing vascular inflammation and then of metastasis implantation. The occurrence of brain metastases was increased by 2 fold when inflammation was present; this could be blocked with VCAM-1 antibody. This underlies the key role of VCAM-1 in tumor seeding to the brain, and suggests that preventive inflammation targeted treatment in cancer patients may minimize risks of brain metastasis.
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