A Newly Designed Hyperpolarized Aminopeptidase N Probe Sensitively Detects Early Therapeutic Responses Heterogeneously on Pancreatic Tumors

Motivation: Molecular imaging is a promising methodology for diagnosing cancer and monitoring treatments by noninvasively visualizing the alternations of cancer metabolisms. Goal(s): A framework for developing novel dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization(dDNP) probes is needed to overcome their limited availabilities for in vivo and clinical applications. Approach: dDNP-metabolic MRI successfully monitors therapeutic responses in spatiotemporal enzymatic activities particularly at earlier stages before the volumetric changes can be observed. Results: In this presentation, we will demonstrate a model case for a rationally designed novel dDNP probe, aminopeptidase-N(CD13), which allows us to detect heterogenetic treatment responses with an anti-angiogenic/antitumor drug, sunitinib, at the earlier stages in tumors. Impact: This work exhibits a framework that a rationally designed hyperpolarized MR probe targeted to a highly-selective enzymatic activity, aminopeptidase-N, leads to monitor early therapeutic responses on cancer tissues in vivo and to observe tumor heterogeneity in their treatment responses non-invasively.