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Metabolic changes underlying 31 P MR spectral alterations in human hepatic tumours
Author(s) -
Bell J. D.,
Bhakoo K. K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
nmr in biomedicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.278
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1099-1492
pISSN - 0952-3480
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1492(1998110)11:7<354::aid-nbm515>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - phosphocholine , phosphorylcholine , in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy , metabolic disease , metabolic pathway , metabolic activity , biology , cell , cancer research , metabolism , pathology , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , biochemistry , endocrinology , physiology , phospholipid , radiology , membrane , phosphatidylcholine
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) remains the technique of choice for observing tumour metabolism non‐invasively. Although initially 31 P MR spectroscopy showed much promise as a non‐invasive diagnostic tool, studies of a wide range of hepatic tumours have conclusively shown that this technique cannot be utilized to distinguish between different tumour types. This lack of specificity and sensitivity appears to be a consequence of the fact that hepatic tumours develop with a range of modalities and not as a single abnormal disease process, and also because of the limited availability of MR detectable metabolic markers. This has led, in recent years, to a re‐evaluation of the role of 31 P MR spectroscopy, re‐emerging as a non‐invasive tool to follow the efficacy of the treatment regime. Furthermore, since the principal changes observed in tumours by 31 P MRS appear to be an elevation in the concentration of phosphorylcholine (PCho) and phosphoethanolamine (PEth), new research using a combination of MRS and tissue culture of cell lines which carry a combination of known inducible oncogenes, are helping to elucidate some of the metabolic pathways that give rise to these metabolic alterations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.