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Abstract #0426

Molecular CEST Imaging of Mucins with Different Glycosylation Levels

Xiaolei Song1, 2, Raag D. Airan1, 2, Dian R. Arifin1, 2, Amnon Bar-Shir, 23, Lea Miranda1, 2, Deepak K. Kadayakkara1, 2, Guanshu Liu1, 4, Assaf A. Gilad, 23, Peter C.M. van Zijl1, 4, Michael T. McMahon1, 4, Jeff W.M. Bulte, 23

1Division of MR Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 2Cellular Imaging Section, Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 3Division of MR Research, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 4F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States


Tumor-associated glycosylation changes regulate tumor proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Underglycosylated mucin-1 (uMUC-1) antigen is overexpressed in many adenocarcinomas (e.g. colon, breast and ovarian cancers). Using CEST imaging, we were able to discriminate deglycosylated from untreated mucin proteins, with the deglycosylated samples showing >80% reduction in the OH peak. Using cell lines with different levels of MUC-1 glycosylation, a striking differential CEST contrast could be obtained between 0.5 and 4 ppm. These results suggest that CEST imaging may be used as a surrogate marker to non-invasively assess mucin glycosylation and tumor malignancy.