Hyperpolarized gas MRI is a powerful modality for the assessment of lung structure and function. However, its utility as an investigative tool for animal disease models is limited by the terminal intubation procedures necessary for precise gas delivery and ventilation. Here, we present a technique for measuring regional fractional ventilation longitudinally in a mouse model of lung cancer under spontaneous respiration using hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI. Fractional ventilation maps at different stages of cancer revealed significant structural changes, a decline in regional ventilation, and an increase in ventilation heterogeneities associated with tumor progression.
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