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A new technique for detecting cancer by imaging the
consumption of sugar with magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) has been unveiled by UCL scientists. The
breakthrough could provide a safer and simpler
alternative to standard radioactive techniques and
enable radiologists to image tumours in greater
detail.
The new technique, called ‘glucose chemical exchange
saturation transfer’ (glucoCEST), is based on the
fact that tumours consume much more glucose (a type
of sugar) than normal, healthy tissues in order to
sustain their growth.
The researchers found that sensitising an MRI
scanner to glucose uptake caused tumours to appear
as bright images on MRI scans of mice.
First author Dr Simon Walker-Samuel, from the UCL
Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI) said:
“GlucoCEST uses radio waves to magnetically label
glucose in the body. This can then be detected in
tumours using conventional MRI techniques.
The method uses an injection of normal sugar and
could offer a cheap, safe alternative to existing
methods for detecting tumours, which require the
injection of radioactive material.”
Professor Mark Lythgoe, Director of CABI and a
senior author on the study, said: “In principle, we
can detect cancer using the same sugar content found
in half a standard sized chocolate bar. Our research
reveals a useful and cost-effective method for
imaging cancers using MRI – a standard imaging
technology available in many large hospitals.”
He continued: “In the future, patients could
potentially be scanned in local hospitals, rather
than being referred to specialist medical centres.”
The study is published in the journal Nature
Medicine and trials are now underway to detect
glucose in human cancers.
According to the UCL Institute of Neurology’s
Professor Xavier Golay, another senior author on the
study: “Our cross-disciplinary research could allow
vulnerable patient groups such as pregnant women and
young children to be scanned more regularly, without
the risks associated with a dose of radiation.”
The work was supported by public and charitable
funding from the National Institute for Health
Research University College London Hospitals
Biomedical Research Centre, Cancer Research UK,
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
and the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
For more information
University College London
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