High Resolution MRI of Tumors in the Smo/Smo Mouse Medulloblastoma Model

Donghoon Lee¹, Stacey Hansen², Richard Ellenbogen¹, Miqin Zhang¹, James Olson²

This work describes MRI methods for diagnosis and staging of tumors in the Smo/Smo genetically engineered mouse model of medulloblastoma. High resolution MRI was performed to attain T2 weighted imaging to screen tumors, T1 weighted imaging to examine the blood brain barrier integrity, and diffusion weighted imaging to improve tumor delineation. Sub-millimeter sized tumors in mice as young as 2 months were imaged even though animals were asymptomatic by other criteria. MRI findings were well correlated with histopathology. Thus, high resolution MR imaging is an excellent way to detect and stage tumors in mouse medulloblastoma models.