Combining Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance and Positron Emission Tomography to Interrogate Prostate Cancer Metabolism

Many advanced prostate cancer patients receiving anti-androgens (Enzalutamide) as the first line of treatment, develop resistance which relapses into metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Treatment options for mCRPC patients are limited and continue to pose a significant oncological challenge with an alarming low survival rate of only 28%. The overarching goal of this research is thus to develop personalized metabolic imaging modality to target treatment strategies of different metabolic sub-types of prostate cancer by targeting pyruvate-to-lactate metabolism by hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate MR and fatty acid oxidation by 18F-FPIA PET.