Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40392403›Full record

ArticleLa Radiologia medica2025

High-resolution quantitative mapping of extracellular pH by ratiometric MRI with iron chelates in a tumor mouse model.

Honglan Mi, Philipp Boehm-Sturm, Akvile Haeckel, Ying Li, Susanne Mueller, Fei Ni, Harald Kratz, Marco Foddis, Jing Xie, Eyk Schellenberger

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in La Radiologia medica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Compartmental pH regulation in cancer and antitumor immunity: therapeutic opportunities and challenges.Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Honglan MiDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Philipp Boehm-SturmCharité 3R - Replace | Reduce | Refine, Experimental Imaging at the Charité for 3R (EPIC3R), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Akvile HaeckelDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Ying LiDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Susanne MuellerCharité 3R - Replace | Reduce | Refine, Experimental Imaging at the Charité for 3R (EPIC3R), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Fei NiDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Harald KratzDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Marco FoddisCharité 3R - Replace | Reduce | Refine, Experimental Imaging at the Charité for 3R (EPIC3R), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Jing XieDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Eyk SchellenbergerDepartment of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. eyk.schellenberger@charite.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4096-6865

Funding

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 01EW2305Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft BO4484/2-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft CRC1340
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe aim of this study was to generate quantitative extracellular pH maps of tumors using a combination of a pH-sensitive iron chelate-based contrast agent (IBCA) and a pH-insensitive IBCA for concentration measurement, which we termed ratiometric pH magnetic resonance imaging (RpH-MRI).

methodsThe pH-sensitive IBCA of ethylenediamine-trans-cyclohexane diamine tetraacetic acid (Fe-en-tCDTA) was synthesized, along with the pH-insensitive IBCAs of trans-cyclohexane diamine tetraacetic acid (Fe-tCDTA) and diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N″,N″-pentaacetic acid (Fe-DTPA). The pH-dependent T1 contrast effects of these chelates were compared in water and serum phantoms at 0.94 T, 3 T and 7 T. For in vivo pH mapping of tumors at 7 T, 4T1 breast cancer cells were inoculated subcutaneously into the flanks of the BALB/c mice. RpH-MRI was performed with two sequential intravenous applications: first a pH-insensitive IBCA, followed by the pH-sensitive IBCA at the same dose (0.25 or 0.5 mmol/kg) with an interval of either 30 or 60 min. Quantitative pH maps were generated by calculating T1, S

resultsThe T1 relaxivity (r1) of Fe-en-tCDTA was highly pH dependent, being approximately 2.7 times higher at pH 5.5 than at neutral pH, whereas Fe-DTPA and Fe-tCDTA showed stable r1 values between pH 5.5-7.4. In vivo, the time to maximum signal intensity (TMI) of the tumors of Fe-DTPA as control was comparable to that of Fe-en-tCDTA (2.57 ± 1.34 min vs. 2.683 ± 0.89 min, p = 0.7596, paired t test, 4 mice, 7 tumors) as well as for Fe-tCDTA as control versus Fe-en-tCDTA (3.30 ± 1.17 min vs. 3.627 ± 1.12 min, p = 0.2101, paired t test, 7 mice, 13 tumors), suggesting similar pharmacokinetics. The concentration distribution at TMI of the control chelates was assumed to be the same as that of the second injected Fe-en-tCDTA. The dynamic contrast enhanced MRI curve of the first injection of Fe-DTPA returned to baseline after 20-30 min, whereas Fe-tCDTA took 30-60 min to reach baseline. Calculated core and rim pH values were 6.512 ± 0.182 and 6.742 ± 0.121, respectively (p < 0.0001, paired t test, 11 mice, 20 tumors) with core areas showing lower chelate concentrations but higher T1 relaxivity; the mean tumor-wide pH value was 6.632 ± 0.140.

conclusionOur results demonstrate the potential of high-resolution RpH-MRI based on pH-sensitive and pH-insensitive IBCAs for mapping tumor extracellular pH and concentration distribution.

Indexed as

Contrast MediaIron Chelating AgentsMagnetic Resonance ImagingAnimalsCell Line, TumorDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHydrogen-Ion ConcentrationMiceMice, Inbred BALB CPhantoms, ImagingContrast MediaIron Chelating AgentsBreast tumorLow molecular weight iron-based contrast agents (IBCA)Molecular imaging of pHpH mappingRpH-MRI

Identifiers

PMID40392403
PMCPMC12367910

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.