MicroPET imaging of selective [18F] c-MET in prostate cancer xenografted mice
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and the sixth leading cause of cancer related Deaths among men worldwide. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) is a receptor tyrosine kinase for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and activation of c-Met can lead to tumor progression, metastasis and angiogenesis. Studies have shown overexpression of c-Met linked to multiple human solid tumor types, including those of prostate, breast, ovary, lung, colon, brain, and skin . Thus, cMet is considered to be a potential new target for developing therapeutic agents which would be extremely useful for diagnosing cancer by imaging c-Met expression and subsequently monitoring response to c-Met-targeted therapies. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive, minimally invasive technique which uses radiolabeled substances in low doses for the visualization and observation of biological processes in live organisms (Front. Oncol., 2013, 3, 208).
The purpose of the study is to observe the bahviour of our selective [18F] c-MET radiotracer in prostate cancer (PC-3) xenograft-bearing mice which will provide us the necessary information to perform more comprehensive studies in the future.
This present study will be classified under moderate severity because the animals will be used in study are expected to experience moderate discomfort. We shall use 20 xenografted tumor mice which will be injected with the [18-F] c-MET radiotracer, scanned on a microPET instrument with continuous blood sampling and bodily functions will be monitored during the procedure. The study will also give insight into the number of animals required for further experiments, reducing the number of animals needed in the future. The use of radiotracers and PET allows for refinement as the technique is minimally invasive, experiment times are relatively short (a few hours), and the animals are expected to recover normal function after the procedure.
The purpose of the study is to observe the bahviour of our selective [18F] c-MET radiotracer in prostate cancer (PC-3) xenograft-bearing mice which will provide us the necessary information to perform more comprehensive studies in the future.
This present study will be classified under moderate severity because the animals will be used in study are expected to experience moderate discomfort. We shall use 20 xenografted tumor mice which will be injected with the [18-F] c-MET radiotracer, scanned on a microPET instrument with continuous blood sampling and bodily functions will be monitored during the procedure. The study will also give insight into the number of animals required for further experiments, reducing the number of animals needed in the future. The use of radiotracers and PET allows for refinement as the technique is minimally invasive, experiment times are relatively short (a few hours), and the animals are expected to recover normal function after the procedure.