GlucoCEST
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishment of GlucoCEST MRI as a Biomarker in Cancer - Translational Study
IRAS ID
121999
Contact name
Sotirios Bisdas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The roles of imaging in cancer may be divided into that of diagnosis and tumour detection, staging and assessment of response to treatment. Standard radiological techniques include ultrasound,Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
A combination of imaging techniques is often necessary to differentiate between cancerous and normal tissue. Traditional imaging techniques identify cancers by their gross appearance and structural/ cellular characteristics, whilst PET do so by tracking glucose metabolism. PET owes its specificity to the high rate of glucose metabolism seen in most cancers. However it is not used routinely due to a lack of availability and high costs. In addition, PET is often used in combination with CT, which imparts a significant diagnostic radiation dose. This can increase an individual’s risk of cancer, especially with childhood or early adult exposure.
In contrast, MRI is more readily available and does not involve radiation. However its ability to detect cancer by tracking glucose metabolism has not been widely explored.
Our group has recently developed a novel MRI technique called Gluco-CEST that can image glucose delivery, uptake and metabolism in cancer, therefore potentially allowing a radiation-free, one-stop imaging service that can be adapted to current generation of MRI scanners.
This study aims to optimise the GlucoCEST technique, after which it will be rigorously tested and compared to standard imaging parameters and clinical or pathological reference standards to evaluate its diagnostic and predictive power across a number of cancer populations.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0061
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion