Researchers have developed a new MRI method that, in preclinical trials, detected invasive lung cancer and metastases as small as about 1 mm. The technology also makes it possible to assess tumor characteristics associated with aggressiveness and the ability to spread throughout the body. The findings were published in Science Advances.
The study was conducted by an international team led by Jenny Yang, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry at Georgia State University. The researchers developed a protein-based contrast agent called hProCA32.Collagen, which targets type I collagen — a structural protein whose levels increase in aggressive lung tumors and metastatic lesions.
In experiments, the new agent enabled researchers to detect and measure small lung tumors, as well as metastases in the lungs, adrenal glands, and kidneys. At the same time, they could observe changes in the tissue surrounding the tumor that were associated with its invasion of neighboring structures and further spread.
According to Jenny Yang, lung cancer is often diagnosed only after it has already spread, limiting treatment options. The new approach, the authors say, can detect very small tumors and hidden metastases without the use of ionizing radiation and may also provide doctors with additional information about the potential aggressiveness of the disease.
The method belongs to a new generation of molecular imaging, in which a contrast agent is designed to target a specific biological feature of a tumor. In this case, the researchers track changes in collagen in the tumor microenvironment. Previously, Yang’s team developed a similar contrast agent targeting another cancer marker, the CXCR4 protein.
The new approach was particularly effective in aggressive forms of lung adenocarcinoma associated with certain mutations. Such tumors are often resistant to existing treatments and tend to spread to other organs.
The study involved specialists from Georgia State University, Emory University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Yang’s team developed the contrast agent and MRI method, while researchers at Emory University provided tumor models and expertise in cancer biology. Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham contributed to imaging physics and analysis of the data obtained.
The authors believe that the technology could eventually be used not only for early cancer detection but also for personalized treatment. Imaging collagen changes in primary tumors and metastases could potentially help identify patients at high risk of disease spread, select treatments, and monitor their effectiveness.
The researchers are now preparing the technology for clinical trials and working on an application for FDA approval to conduct the first studies involving humans. The intellectual property associated with the technology has been licensed by InLighta Biosciences, a biotechnology company founded by Jenny Yang․
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