scholarly journals Potential Biomarkers in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Prediction of Treatment Response in Malignant Glioma

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Parvaneh Shokrani ◽  
Maryam Heidari ◽  
Parvaneh Shokrani
Keyword(s):  
Malignant Glioma ◽  
Treatment Response ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Prognosis And Prediction ◽  
Imaging Markers

Gliomas are the most common type of primary central nervous system malignancies with poor prognosis in adults. There are several challenges in developing a treatment protocol for this malignancy including presence of blood-brain barrier that inhibit drug delivery to brain tissue, drug and radiation resistance of tumor cells, and inter and intra-tumor heterogeneity of glioma. In addition, early treatment assessment is difficult for glioma patients because of phenomenon of pseudo-progression. Due to the challenges involved in treatment and monitoring of treatment response for glioma, it is very helpful to identify specific and non-invasive molecular and imaging markers in order to provide useful prognostic information. The aim of this article is to summarize several potential biological and imaging markers regarding malignant glioma. A brief description of the proteins involved in the glioma signaling pathways is provided in order to introduce potential biological markers. Furthermore, the role of imaging techniques in treatment management is discussed. Finally, correlation between tumor characteristics and values of angiogenesis and physiological factors measured in perfusion magnetic resonance imaging techniques as well as metabolites in MRS, and PET tracer’s uptake is investigated.

Integration Between Computed Tomography and Nuclear Medicine for Non-invasive Assessment of Coronary Anatomy and Myocardial Perfusion

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Wanda Acampa ◽  
Mario Petretta ◽  
Carmela Nappi ◽  
Alberto Cuocolo ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Myocardial Perfusion ◽  
Myocardial Blood Flow ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Emission Computed Tomography ◽  
Coronary Anatomy ◽  
Non Invasive

Many non-invasive imaging techniques are available for the evaluation of patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease. Among these, computed-tomography-based techniques allow the quantification of coronary atherosclerotic calcium and non-invasive imaging of coronary arteries, whereas nuclear cardiology is the most widely used non-invasive approach for the assessment of myocardial perfusion. The available single-photon-emission computed tomography flow agents are characterised by a cardiac uptake proportional to myocardial blood flow. In addition, different positron emission tomography tracers may be used for the quantitative measurement of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve. Extensive research is being performed in the development of non-invasive coronary angiography and myocardial perfusion imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance. Finally, new multimodality imaging systems have recently been developed bringing together anatomical and functional information. This article provides a description of the available non-invasive imaging techniques in the assessment of coronary anatomy and myocardial perfusion in patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease.

Stress-induced Myocardial Ischaemia – Perfusion Contrast Echocardiography to Evaluate Presence and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 172
Author(s):  
Benoy Nalin Shah ◽  
Roxy Senior ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Coronary Artery Disease ◽  
Coronary Artery ◽  
Myocardial Perfusion ◽  
Contrast Echocardiography ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Suspected Coronary Artery Disease ◽  
Ultrasound Contrast Agents ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Artery Disease

The development of stable transpulmonary ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) has allowed the echocardiographic assessment of myocardial perfusion, a technique known as myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). MCE exploits the ultrasonic properties of UCAs, which consist of acoustically active gas-filled microspheres. These are intravascular agents that have a rheology similar to red blood cells and thus allow analysis of myocardial blood flow both at rest and after stress. The combined assessment of wall motion and myocardial perfusion provides significant diagnostic and prognostic information during stress echocardiography. Functional imaging tests, such as myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, are also used for non-invasive assessment of coronary disease. The principal advantages of MCE are that it does not expose the patient to ionising radiation or radioactive pharmaceuticals, is not contraindicated in patients with an implanted metallic device or who suffer from claustrophobia and it can be performed at the bedside. The purpose of this article is to outline the physiological principles underpinning ischaemia testing with MCE before proceeding to review the evidence base for MCE in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Semi-Quantitative Ultrasonographic Evaluation of NAFLD

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (32) ◽  
pp. 3915-3927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Ballestri ◽  
Claudio Tana ◽  
Maria Di Girolamo ◽  
Maria Cristina Fontana ◽  
Mariano Capitelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liver Disease ◽  
Fatty Liver ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Metabolic Complications ◽  
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Risk Of Progression ◽  
Progressive Liver Disease

: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) embraces histopathological entities ranging from the relatively benign simple steatosis to the progressive form nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with fibrosis and an increased risk of progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is the most common liver disease and is associated with extrahepatic comorbidities including a major cardiovascular disease burden. : The non-invasive diagnosis of NAFLD and the identification of subjects at risk of progressive liver disease and cardio-metabolic complications are key in implementing personalized treatment schedules and follow-up strategies. : In this review, we highlight the potential role of ultrasound semiquantitative scores for detecting and assessing steatosis severity, progression of NAFLD, and cardio-metabolic risk. : Ultrasonographic scores of fatty liver severity act as sensors of cardio-metabolic health and may assist in selecting patients to submit to second-line non-invasive imaging techniques and/or liver biopsy.

scholarly journals Differential effects of the blood pressure state on pulse rate variability and heart rate variability in critically ill patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa Mejía-Mejía ◽  
James M. May ◽  
Mohamed Elgendi ◽  
Panayiotis A. Kyriacou
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Pulse Rate ◽  
Pulse Transit Time ◽  
Pulse Rate Variability ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Ecg Signals ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Electrocardiogram Ecg

AbstractHeart rate variability (HRV) utilizes the electrocardiogram (ECG) and has been widely studied as a non-invasive indicator of cardiac autonomic activity. Pulse rate variability (PRV) utilizes photoplethysmography (PPG) and recently has been used as a surrogate for HRV. Several studies have found that PRV is not entirely valid as an estimation of HRV and that several physiological factors, including the pulse transit time (PTT) and blood pressure (BP) changes, may affect PRV differently than HRV. This study aimed to assess the relationship between PRV and HRV under different BP states: hypotension, normotension, and hypertension. Using the MIMIC III database, 5 min segments of PPG and ECG signals were used to extract PRV and HRV, respectively. Several time-domain, frequency-domain, and nonlinear indices were obtained from these signals. Bland–Altman analysis, correlation analysis, and Friedman rank sum tests were used to compare HRV and PRV in each state, and PRV and HRV indices were compared among BP states using Kruskal–Wallis tests. The findings indicated that there were differences between PRV and HRV, especially in short-term and nonlinear indices, and although PRV and HRV were altered in a similar manner when there was a change in BP, PRV seemed to be more sensitive to these changes.

scholarly journals ctDNA-Based Liquid Biopsy of Cerebrospinal Fluid in Brain Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1989
Author(s):  
Laura Escudero ◽  
Francisco Martínez-Ricarte ◽  
Joan Seoane
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Brain Cancer ◽  
Liquid Biopsy ◽  
Therapeutic Strategy ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Tumour Heterogeneity ◽  
Diagnosis And Prognosis ◽  
Cns Malignancies

The correct characterisation of central nervous system (CNS) malignancies is crucial for accurate diagnosis and prognosis and also the identification of actionable genomic alterations that can guide the therapeutic strategy. Surgical biopsies are performed to characterise the tumour; however, these procedures are invasive and are not always feasible for all patients. Moreover, they only provide a static snapshot and can miss tumour heterogeneity. Currently, monitoring of CNS cancer is performed by conventional imaging techniques and, in some cases, cytology analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); however, these techniques have limited sensitivity. To overcome these limitations, a liquid biopsy of the CSF can be used to obtain information about the tumour in a less invasive manner. The CSF is a source of cell-free circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), and the analysis of this biomarker can characterise and monitor brain cancer. Recent studies have shown that ctDNA is more abundant in the CSF than plasma for CNS malignancies and that it can be sequenced to reveal tumour heterogeneity and provide diagnostic and prognostic information. Furthermore, analysis of longitudinal samples can aid patient monitoring by detecting residual disease or even tracking tumour evolution at relapse and, therefore, tailoring the therapeutic strategy. In this review, we provide an overview of the potential clinical applications of the analysis of CSF ctDNA and the challenges that need to be overcome in order to translate research findings into a tool for clinical practice.

scholarly journals Current Trends in Non-Invasive Imaging of Interactions in the Liver Tumor Microenvironment Mediated by Tumor Metabolism

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 3645
Author(s):  
Isabel Theresa Schobert ◽  
Lynn Jeanette Savic
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Tumor Metabolism ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Metabolic Reprogramming ◽  
Non Invasive

With the increasing understanding of resistance mechanisms mediated by the metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, there is a growing clinical interest in imaging technologies that allow for the non-invasive characterization of tumor metabolism and the interactions of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated through tumor metabolism. Specifically, tumor glycolysis and subsequent tissue acidosis in the realms of the Warburg effect may promote an immunosuppressive TME, causing a substantial barrier to the clinical efficacy of numerous immuno-oncologic treatments. Thus, imaging the varying individual compositions of the TME may provide a more accurate characterization of the individual tumor. This approach can help to identify the most suitable therapy for each individual patient and design new targeted treatment strategies that disable resistance mechanisms in liver cancer. This review article focuses on non-invasive positron-emission tomography (PET)- and MR-based imaging techniques that aim to visualize the crosstalk between tumor cells and their microenvironment in liver cancer mediated by tumor metabolism.

scholarly journals TAMI-08. A TALE OF TWO TELOMERE MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS: TERT EXPRESSION AND THE ALT PATHWAY INDUCE UNIQUE MRS-DETECTABLE METABOLIC REPROGRAMMING IN LOW-GRADE GLIOMAS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii214-ii214
Author(s):  
Pavithra Viswanath ◽  
Georgios Batsios ◽  
Anne Marie Gillespie ◽  
Hema Artee Luchman ◽  
Joseph Costello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Response ◽  
Metabolic Reprogramming ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Imaging Biomarker ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Tumor Proliferation ◽  
Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Key Enzyme ◽  
Tert Expression

Abstract Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures at chromosomal ends that shorten with cell division and constitute a natural barrier to proliferation. In order to proliferate indefinitely, all tumors require a telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM). Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression is the TMM in most tumors, including low-grade oligodendrogliomas (LGOGs). In contrast, low-grade astrocytomas (LGAs) use the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway as their TMM. As molecular hallmarks of tumor proliferation, TMMs are attractive tumor biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Non-invasive imaging of TMM status will, therefore, allow assessment of tumor proliferation and treatment response. However, translational methods of imaging TMM status are lacking. Here, we show that TERT expression and the ALT pathway are associated with unique magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)-detectable metabolic reprogramming in LGOGs and LGAs respectively. In genetically-engineered and patient-derived LGOG models, TERT expression is linked to elevated 1H-MRS-detectable NAD(P)/H, glutathione, aspartate and AXP. In contrast, the ALT pathway in LGAs is associated with higher α-ketoglutarate, glutamate, alanine and AXP. Importantly, elevated flux of hyperpolarized [1-13C]-alanine to pyruvate, which depends on α-ketoglutarate, is a non-invasive in vivo imaging biomarker of the ALT pathway in LGAs while elevated flux of hyperpolarized [1-13C]-alanine to lactate, which depends on NADH, is an imaging biomarker of TERT expression in LGOGs. Mechanistically, the ALT pathway in LGAs is linked to higher glutaminase (GLS), a key enzyme for α-ketoglutarate biosynthesis while TERT expression in LGOGs is associated with elevated nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), a key enzyme for NADH biosynthesis. Notably, TERT expression and the ALT pathway are linked to MRS-detectable metabolic reprogramming in LGOG and LGA patient biopsies, emphasizing the clinical validity of our observations. Collectively, we have identified unique metabolic signatures of TMM status that integrate critical oncogenic information with noninvasive imaging modalities that can improve diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for LGOG and LGA patients.

scholarly journals Machine Learning and Radiomics Applications in Esophageal Cancers Using Non-Invasive Imaging Methods—A Critical Review of Literature

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2469
Author(s):  
Chen-Yi Xie ◽  
Chun-Lap Pang ◽  
Benjamin Chan ◽  
Emily Yuen-Yuen Wong ◽  
Qi Dou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Quantitative Imaging ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
Imaging Markers

Esophageal cancer (EC) is of public health significance as one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Accurate staging, treatment planning and prognostication in EC patients are of vital importance. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) techniques demonstrate their potential to provide novel quantitative imaging markers in medical imaging. Radiomics approaches that could quantify medical images into high-dimensional data have been shown to improve the imaging-based classification system in characterizing the heterogeneity of primary tumors and lymph nodes in EC patients. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence of the most recent developments in ML application in imaging pertinent to EC patient care. According to the published results, ML models evaluating treatment response and lymph node metastasis achieve reliable predictions, ranging from acceptable to outstanding in their validation groups. Patients stratified by ML models in different risk groups have a significant or borderline significant difference in survival outcomes. Prospective large multi-center studies are suggested to improve the generalizability of ML techniques with standardized imaging protocols and harmonization between different centers.

scholarly journals The Cat Mandible (II): Manipulation of the Jaw, with a New Prosthesis Proposal, to Avoid Iatrogenic Complications

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 683
Author(s):  
Matilde Lombardero ◽  
Mario López-Lombardero ◽  
Diana Alonso-Peñarando ◽  
María del Mar Yllera
Keyword(s):  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Prosthesis Design ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Mandibular Fractures ◽  
Rigid Fixation ◽  
Invasive Approach ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Iatrogenic Complications ◽  
Mandibular Body

The cat mandible is relatively small, and its manipulation implies the use of fixing methods and different repair techniques according to its small size to keep its biomechanical functionality intact. Attempts to fix dislocations of the temporomandibular joint should be primarily performed by non-invasive techniques (repositioning the bones and immobilisation), although when this is not possible, a surgical method should be used. Regarding mandibular fractures, these are usually concurrent with other traumatic injuries that, if serious, should be treated first. A non-invasive approach should also first be considered to fix mandibular fractures. When this is impractical, internal rigid fixation methods, such as osteosynthesis plates, should be used. However, it should be taken into account that in the cat mandible, dental roots and the mandibular canal structures occupy most of the volume of the mandibular body, a fact that makes it challenging to apply a plate with fixed screw positions without invading dental roots or neurovascular structures. Therefore, we propose a new prosthesis design that will provide acceptable rigid biomechanical stabilisation, but avoid dental root and neurovascular damage, when fixing simple mandibular body fractures. Future trends will include the use of better diagnostic imaging techniques, a patient-specific prosthesis design and the use of more biocompatible materials to minimise the patient’s recovery period and suffering.

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