Quantitative Markers to Probe Cancer Glutamine Metabolism in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Models

This lecture will focus on our recent development of in vivo non-invasive quantitative imaging tools to probe tumor metabolism. Many aggressive cancers, including lung, glioma and triple negative breast cancers, engage in glutaminolysis pathway and are dependent on glutamine for survival and growth. Glutamine metabolism also intertwines with ROS level and oxidative stress that affect cancer initiation and progression. Small molecule drugs targeting the rate-limiting enzyme of glutaminolysis pathway are being evaluated in multicenter clinical trials. The lecture will discuss PET and MRI approaches for assessing pharmacodynamic effect of mitochondrial glutaminase inhibiting drug. These clinical translatable imaging tools are expected to enhance precision medicine-based cancer treatment.