The potential of hyperpolarized 13 C magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor the effect of combretastatin based vascular disrupting agents.

DCE-MRI and FDG-PET revealed loss of vessel functionality, impaired glucose delivery and reduced metabolic activity prior to cell death. [1-C]lactate-to-[C]bicarbonate ratios increased significantly during treatment, indicating a decline in respiratory activity driven by the onset of hypoxia. HPMRS is promising for early detection of metabolic stress inflicted by VDAs, which cannot easily be inferred based on blood flow measurements.