Abstract 406: Monitoring inflammation and therapeutic response with clinically translational 19F MRI

Abstract Non- invasive monitoring of inflammation to both diagnose disease and evaluate treatment is critically needed. V-Sense, a perfluorocarbon tracer agent that labels circulating inflammatory cells, which are then recruited out of circulation to sites of inflammation, enables detection by 19F MRI. Due to negligible 19F background in the host, detection of 19F and thus inflammation is highly-specific. Inflammation is a noted predecessor to several types of cancer such as colon, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer and also contributes to the progression of metastatic disease. Using a collagen-induced arthritis model, where the inflammatory process is well understood, we demonstrate the ability to monitor development, progression, and treatment of inflammation. Disease progression in the rat hind limbs was monitored by caliper measurements and 19F MRI on days 14, 21 and 28, including the height of clinically symptomatic disease. Naïve rats served as controls. The capacity of V-Sense to assess the effectiveness of therapy was studied in a cohort of rats administered oral prednisolone on days 14 to 28. Terminal histopathological analysis was also performed. Comparison of caliper measurements to the 19F accumulation, from 19F MRI, validated the quanitative nature of this approach. This study supports the use of V-Sense to monitor and quantify the inflammatory process in disease, including the development of and treatment cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 406. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-406