Imaging technique allows rapid assessment of ovarian cancer subtypes and their response to treatment

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"The technique, called hyperpolarised carbon-13 imaging, can increase the detected signal in an MRI scanner by more than 10,000 times. Scientists have found that the technique can distinguish between 2 different subtypes of ovarian cancer, to reveal their sensitivities to treatment.

They used it to look at patient-derived cell models that closely mimic the behaviour of human high grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common lethal form of the disease. The technique clearly shows whether a tumour is sensitive or resistant to Carboplatin, one of the standard first-line chemotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer.  ..."

From the abstract:

"High grade serous ovarian cancer displays two metabolic subtypes; a high OXPHOS subtype that shows increased expression of genes encoding electron transport chain components, increased oxygen consumption, and increased chemosensitivity, and a low OXPHOS subtype that exhibits glycolytic metabolism and is more drug resistant. 

We show here in patient-derived organoids and in the xenografts obtained by their subcutaneous implantation that the low OXPHOS subtype shows higher lactate dehydrogenase activity and monocarboxylate transporter 4 expression than the high OXPHOS subtype and increased lactate labeling in 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measurements of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism.

There was no difference between the subtypes in PET measurements of 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG) uptake. Both metabolic imaging techniques could detect the early response to Carboplatin treatment in drug-sensitive high OXPHOS xenografts and no response in drug-resistant in low OXPHOS xenografts. 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate metabolism has the potential to be used clinically to distinguish low OXPHOS and high OXPHOS tumor deposits in HGSOC patients and to detect their differential responses to treatment."

Imaging technique allows rapid assessment of ovarian cancer subtypes and their response to treatment | University of Cambridge "An MRI-based imaging technique developed at the University of Cambridge predicts the response of ovarian cancer tumours to treatment, and rapidly reveals how well treatment is working, in patient-derived cell models."

Metabolic imaging distinguishes ovarian cancer subtypes and detects their early and variable responses to treatment (open access)