Imaging Biomarkers of Therapeutic Response to Melanoma to Kinase Inhibitors

In vivo 1H/31P MRS were used to monitor the effects of Kinase Inhibitor (KI) therapy in two metabolically different human melanoma xenografts models. Our goal is to determine the metabolic changes in human melanoma xenograft models when treated with two KIs, a BRAF and a MEK inhibitor. KI combination is more effective than single-drug therapy. Differences in relative levels of metabolites and bioenergetics between two human melanoma xenografts models may produce differential therapeutic responses to BRAF and MEK inhibitors. In melanoma, metabolic changes in response to targeted kinase inhibitor therapy occur rapidly and are connected to subsequent tumor response.