Interrogating IDH Mutation in Brain Tumor: Magnetic Resonance and Hyperpolarization

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) offers the possibility to noninvasively quantify 2HG concentration in the brain in the clinic, thereby serving as a valuable tool for patient-stratification as well as targeted treatment monitoring. Recently, hyperpolarized magnetic resonance techniques have opened up new opportunities for metabolic imaging not possible with conventional MRS in the brain. With over 10,000-fold increase in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), dynamic metabolic processes can be interrogated in vivo with very high specificity by hyperpolarized MRI. In the following article, we will review relevant clinical studies and practical considerations of MRS and hyperpolarized MRS, as well as discuss some promising preclinical hyperpolarization studies to interrogate real-time metabolism in IDH mutations in vivo.