Hyperpolarized C13 pyruvate

Many human diseases are characterized by their ability to alter existing metabolic pathways and interrupt cellular processes. Cancer exploits the Warburg effect and utilizes greater glucose than normal cells and within this process uses anaerobic respiration, leading to increased conversion of pyruvate to lactate. This can be exploited by hyperpolarized imaging. Hyperpolarized 13C MRI imaging is an approach that utilizes a stable isotope of Carbon (13C) linked to pyruvate. MRI spectroscopy is used in conjunction with hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate in order to temporally detect pyruvate and its conversion to lactate in-vivo, in order to visualize downstream metabolic (glycolytic) activity secondary to the Warburg effect, which should be useful in detecting and characterizing tumors of various types. Hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate MR imaging has not been tested in most cancers. In this preliminary survey, we will test the hypothesis that hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate MR imaging can be used to image various cancers.

This is a Phase 2 clinical study of hyperpolarized (HP) 13C-pyruvate (13C), 15N-urea (13C,15N) metabolic MR imaging in prostate cancer patients who are undergoing or have received radiation therapy for prostate cancer.