Selective and targeted imaging for pancreatic cancer in a mouse model: structured polyethylene glycol as a specific MR molecular imaging agent

Motivation: Demonstrate a Gd-free, MR molecular imaging agent selective to solid cancers. Deliver an MR imaging technique for the detection and diagnosis of solid cancers. Goal(s): Show that structured PEG nanopolymers (sPEG), can be delivered to and used to monitor pancreatic cancer. Approach: Diffusion-weighted, T2-weighted, single-shot FSE with 64 echoes was used to suppress water and selectively image sPEG in phantoms, in vivo in matrigel flank injections, and in orthotopic pancreatic cancer in C57BL/6 mice. Results: We demonstrate that sPEG signal is linear with concentration, can be selective imaged in vivo, and, in concert with iRGD, can be used to image pancreatic cancer. Impact: The delivery and MRI of the sPEG nanopolymers demonstrate a clear path to a new imaging paradigm - yielding PET-like images of sPEG and providing oncologists and radiologists with a new tool to quickly detect and diagnose solid cancers.