Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed an MRI contrast agent they say enhances the detection of very small, aggressive, breast cancer tumors and micrometastases, according to a study published online August 12 in Nature Communications.
The small peptide is a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) that is designed to bind to molecular markers known as fibrin-fibronectin complexes, which are expressed in high-risk primary tumors and metastases.
Researchers led by Zheng-Rong Lu, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering, tested the agent on mice bearing breast cancer metastases. Signals generated during an MRI scan showed the agent was effective at delineating primary tumors and micrometastases in the lung, liver, lymph node, adrenal gland, bone, and brain as small as 300 micrometers. The agent also increased MR signal output from metastases by 77% to 122%.
Lu and his colleagues hope to begin clinical trials within three years and are working to make the agent more tumor-specific, starting with the detection of prostate cancer.
