Abstract #0967

Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Measurements Reflect Histologic Microvessel Density in an Experimental Model of Tumor Response & Eventual Resistance to Antiangiogenic Therapy

Xiaoen Wang¹, Liang Zhang², Michael P. Collins³, Brittany Bahamon³, Sabina Signoretti³, Michael B. Atkins², David C. Alsop⁴, Rupal S. Bhatt²

¹Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA, United States; ²Division of Hematology-Oncology & Cancer Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States; ³Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; ⁴Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States

This study investigates the relationship between ASL-MRI assessed tumor perfusion and histologic microvessel density (MVD) before and after antiangiogenic therapy in a renal cell carcinoma mouse model. The average tumor perfusion was 67.9 28.2 ml/100g/min (n=27), MVD was 159.9 87.7 vessels/mm2. The correlation between ASL tumor perfusion and MVD was very good (r=0.92). Tumor perfusion was significantly lower in tumors treated with antiangiogenic therapy as compared with that of untreated tumors (49.3 15.0 ml/100g/min vs 102.6 6.0 ml/100g/min, p<0.001). ASL-MRI may serve as an accurate and noninvasive method for mornitoring tumor angiogenesis and response to treatment.