Hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen supply, plays a critical role in solid tumor growth and treatment resistance. The tumor microenvironment influences both the aggressiveness of a tumor and its ability to withstand therapy.
Key biomarkers in this environment, such as tumor pH, hypoxia, and angiogenesis, are closely linked to cancer severity and patient outcomes. Positron emission tomography (PET), especially when combined with advanced MRI techniques, is crucial for diagnosing, planning treatment, and managing tumors by offering valuable insights into the tumor's metabolic characteristics.
Breast cancer is well-known for its significant intratumoral heterogeneity, which stems from the diverse selective pressures exerted by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. A detailed analysis of the physiological variations induced by hypoxia across different breast cancer subtypes, achieved through simultaneous multiparametric PET/MRI imaging, could greatly enhance both diagnosis and treatment planning in clinical practice.
This webinar aims to address the challenges in developing MRI protocols that integrate various imaging techniques. Specifically, Bruker will discuss: a) using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI to evaluate intratumoral vascularization, b) employing hyperoxic blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) MRI to measure oxygen delivery, and c) utilizing [18F]FMISO PET to identify hypoxic tumor regions.
Finally, Bruker will demonstrate how a combined analysis of simultaneous multiparametric PET/MRI-derived imaging parameters can identify spatially defined and physiologically distinct intratumoral niches within the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. This characterization provides a new perspective on breast cancer and reveals potential new therapeutic targets.
When?
- 26th of September 2024 | 04:00 PM CEST
What to expect
In the context of a preclinical breast cancer model, Dr. Silvester J. Bartsch will discuss PET/MRI procedures and the challenges of establishing protocols that integrate various imaging techniques, including DCE and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI for assessing intratumoral vascularization, hyperoxic BOLD MRI for quantifying oxygen delivery, and [18F]FMISO PET for identifying hypoxic regions.
Key learning topics
- Simultaneous PET/MRI characterization of hypoxic breast cancer tumor microenvironment
- Intratumoral vascularization
- DCE & BOLD MRI & [18F]FMISO PET
Who should attend?
This webinar will apply to a diverse audience within the biomedical research community, particularly those involved in medical imaging. It will be relevant to clinicians, researchers, PhD students, postdocs, and laboratory technicians who apply imaging techniques in their work.
About the speaker
Silvester J. Bartsch, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Silvester J. Bartsch studied evolutionary biology at the Department of Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, before starting his Ph.D. project at the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna.
His current research focuses on characterizing niches within the hypoxic tumor microenvironment of breast cancer using simultaneous multiparametric PET/MR imaging. To this end, he integrates [18F]FDG and [18F]FMISO PET with multiparametric MRI (diffusion-weighted MRI, blood oxygen level dependent MRI, glucose-enhanced CEST-MRI, dynamic contrast enhanced MRI) for the characterization the hypoxia-induced reprogramming of glucose metabolism, as well as the induction of angiogenesis, which are important hallmarks in breast cancer progression.