Metabolic Imaging Techniques in Oncology
Summary
Metabolic imaging in oncology has emerged as a crucial tool for elucidating tumour biology, guiding diagnosis and monitoring therapy. The hallmark metabolic rewiring of malignant cells, typified by the Warburg effect, has been exploited to develop multiple imaging modalities. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) remains the most widely adopted technique and employs radiotracers such as 18F-labelled probes to visualise glucose uptake, amino acid consumption and lipid metabolism within tumours. Beyond the archetypal 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, a growing repertoire of tracers targets system-specific pathways, including glutamine, choline and nucleoside salvage, thus refining diagnostic sensitivity and treatment monitoring. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and hyperpolarised magnetic resonance imaging extend this capability by detecting endogenous or exogenous metabolites in real time without ionising radiation. Dynamic nuclear polarisation enhances signal strength for real-time observation of metabolic flux, transforming our understanding of tumour heterogeneity and response to therapy. Mass spectrometry imaging and emerging optical modalities complement in vivo methods by providing spatially resolved metabolic data at the tissue level, further elucidating the tumour microenvironment. These combined approaches have reshaped patient stratification, enabled early detection of therapeutic response and paved the way for personalised oncological care worldwide.
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Metabolic Imaging Techniques in Oncology publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in metabolic imaging techniques in oncology across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Positron Emission Tomography (PET): non-invasive imaging technique that uses positron-emitting radiotracers to visualise metabolic processes in vivo.
Radiotracer: molecule labelled with a radioactive isotope to track specific biochemical pathways.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS): technique identifying and quantifying endogenous metabolites by their magnetic resonance signatures without ionising radiation.
Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP): method to enhance the magnetic resonance signal of injected metabolites for real-time metabolic flux mapping.
Warburg effect: metabolic phenomenon where tumour cells preferentially convert glucose to lactate even under aerobic conditions.
References
- Current Opportunities and Challenges of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Positron Emission Tomography, and Mass Spectrometry Imaging for Mapping Cancer Metabolism In Vivo. BioMed Research International (2014).
- [18F]FSPG-PET provides an early marker of radiotherapy response in head and neck squamous cell cancer. npj Imaging (2024).
- Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of a Novel [18F]-Labeled Arginine Derivative for Tumor Imaging. Pharmaceuticals (2023).
- An overview of radiolabeled amino acid tracers in oncologic imaging. Frontiers in Oncology (2023).
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