Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) in breast and prostate cancers: Preliminary results exploring the potential role of calcium receptors

by Gabriella Baio, Marina Fabbi, Michele Cilli, Francesca Rosa, Simona Boccardo, Francesca Valdora, Sandra Salvi, Luca Basso, Laura Emionite, Eliana Gianolio, Silvio Aime, Carlo Emanuele Neumaier

Procedures

To preliminary assess the relationship between Manganese Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) and the expression of calcium receptors in human prostate and breast cancer animal models.

Methods

NOD/SCID mice were inoculated with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and prostate PC3 cancer cells to develop orthotopic or pseudometastatic cancer animal models. Mice were studied on a clinical 3T scanner by using a prototype birdcage coil before and after intravenous injection of MnCl₂. Assessment of receptor’s status was carried out after the MR images acquisition by immunohistochemistry on excised tumours.

Results

Manganese contrast enhancement in breast or prostate cancer animal models well correlated with CaSR expression (p<0.01), whereas TRPV6 expression levels appeared not relevant to the Mn uptake.

Conclusion

Our preliminary results suggest that MEMRI appears an efficient tool to characterize human breast and prostate cancer animal models in the presence of different expression level of calcium receptors.