Applications of magnetic resonance in model systems: Cancer therapeutics

The lack of information regarding the metabolism and pathophysiology of ind ividual tumors limits, in part, both the development of new anti-cancer the rapies and the optimal implementation of currently available treatments. Ma gnetic resonance [MR, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)] pr ovides a powerful tool to assess many aspects of tumor metabolism and patho physiology, Moreover, since this information can be obtained nondestructive ly, pre-clinical results from cellular or animal models are often easily tr anslated into the clinic. This review presents selected examples of how MR has been used to identify metabolic changes associated with apoptosis, dete ct therapeutic response prior to a change in tumor volume, optimize the com bination of metabolic inhibitors with chemotherapy and/or radiation, charac terize and exploit the influence of tumor pH on the effectiveness of chemot herapy, characterize tumor reoxygenation and the effects of modifiers of tu mor oxygenation in individual tumors, image transgene expression and assess the efficacy of gene therapy,These examples provide an overview of several of the areas In which cellular and animal model studies using MR have cont ributed to our understanding of the effects of treatment on tumor metabolis m and pathophysiology and the importance of tumor metabolism and pathophysi ology as determinants of therapeutic response.