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Abstract #3432

Monitoring PKM2 Status in Glioblastoma Using Hyperpolarized 13C MRS

Myriam Marianne Chaumeil1, Joydeep Mukherjee2, Humsa Venkatesh1, Russell O. Pieper2, Sabrina M. Ronen1

1Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; 2Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States


The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) induces a reprogramming of energetic metabolism in cancer cells, leading to tumor growth and metastasis. Because PKM2 modulation is being investigated as a therapeutic approach, we questioned whether hyperpolarized (HP) 13C MRS of pyruvate could serve as a method to probe the PKM2 status. This study shows that knocking down PKM2 expression in glioblastoma cells leads to a significant decrease in HP lactate formation. HP 13C MRS of pyruvate could thus prove useful for evaluation of new PKM2-targeted therapies.