Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MRI Detects Responses to Stroma-directed Therapy in Mouse Models of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Clin Cancer Res. 2019 Apr 1;25(7):2314-2322. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-2276. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Abstract

Purpose: The dense stroma underlies the drug resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and has motivated the development of stroma-directed drugs. Our objective is to test the concept that dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI using FDA-approved contrast media, an imaging method sensitive to the tumor microenvironment, can detect early responses to stroma-directed drug.

Experimental design: Imaging studies were performed in three mouse models exhibiting high desmoplastic reactions: the autochthonous PDA in genetically engineered mice (KPC), an orthotopic model in syngeneic mice, and a xenograft model of human PDA in athymic mice. An investigational drug, PEGPH20 (pegvorhyaluronidase alfa), which degrades hyaluronan (HA) in the stroma of PDA, was injected alone or in combination with gemcitabine.

Results: At 24 hours after a single injection of PEGPH20, Ktrans , a DCE-MRI-derived marker that measures how fast a unit volume of contrast media is transferred from capillaries to interstitial space, increased 56% and 50% from baseline in the orthotopic and xenograft tumors, respectively, compared with a 4% and 6% decrease in vehicle groups (both P < 0.05). Similarly, after three combined treatments, Ktrans in KPC mice increased 54%, whereas it decreased 4% in controls treated with gemcitabine alone (P < 0.05). Consistently, after a single injection of PEGPH20, tumor HA content assessed by IHC was reduced substantially in all three models while drug delivery (measured by paclitaxel accumulation in tumor) was increased by 2.6-fold.

Conclusions: These data demonstrated a DCE-MRI marker, Ktrans , can detect early responses to stroma-directed drug and reveal the sustained effect of combination treatment (PEGPH20+ gemcitabine).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / diagnostic imaging*
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / pathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Contrast Media
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / pharmacokinetics
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / therapeutic use
  • Image Enhancement
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / standards
  • Mice
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Stromal Cells / drug effects
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Microenvironment*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Contrast Media
  • Hyaluronoglucosaminidase
  • PEGPH20