Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40750673›Full record

ArticleNpj imaging2025

Imaging the uptake and metabolism of glutamine in prostate tumor models using CEST MRI.

Yuki Hodo, Caitlin M Tressler, Behnaz Ghaemi, Rebecca Thomas, Aliyah S Webster, Kirsten N Bains Williams, Yuguo Li, Martin G Pomper, Chi V Dang, Zaver M Bhujwalla and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Npj imaging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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

13 authors.

Yuki HodoDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Caitlin M TresslerDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Behnaz GhaemiDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Rebecca ThomasDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Aliyah S WebsterDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Kirsten N Bains WilliamsDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Yuguo LiF.M. Kirby Research Center, Hugo W. Moser Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Martin G PomperDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Chi V DangDepartment of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Zaver M BhujwallaDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jeff W M BulteDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Peter C M van ZijlDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Aline M ThomasDepartment of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. athom110@jhu.edu.

Funding

Training/Dissemination-Resource for Molecular Imaging Agents in Precision MedicineP41EB024495 · NIBIB · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI Jeff W. Bulte · 2017 to 2026
$11.8M
Intracellular Self-Assembly of Theranostic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Imaging and Tumor TherapyR01EB030376 · NIBIB · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI BULTE, JEFF W. · 2020 to 2024
$2.1M
Upgrade of the 11.7T Research Scanner at the F.M. Kirby Research CenterS10OD032188 · OD · HUGO W. MOSER RES INST KENNEDY KRIEGER · PI VAN ZIJL, PETER CM · 2024 to 2024
$1.7M
Imaging Prostate Cancer Immune Evasion using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRIK01EB030612 · NIBIB · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI THOMAS, ALINE · 2021 to 2024
$529k
Prostate cancer-diagnosing imaging agentsR21EB035705 · NIBIB · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Aline Thomas · 2025 to 2026
$410k
NIBIB NIH HHS K01 EB030612NIBIB NIH HHS P41 EB024495NIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB030376NIBIB NIH HHS R21 EB035705NIH HHS K01 EB030612NIH HHS P41 EB024495NIH HHS R01 EB030376NIH HHS S10 OD032188
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Glutamine metabolism is upregulated in many cancers. While multiple glutamine imaging agents have been developed and translated to clinical use, the short half-lives of their signal and instability in vivo limit the aspects of glutamine metabolism they capture. In phantoms at physiological pH, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast was observed at 11.7 T from glutamine, downstream metabolic products (glutamate and ammonia) and their co-substrates (alanine, aspartate, and cystine/cysteine). This contrast increased at lower pH. These results suggest that both uptake and metabolism of glutamine would increase CEST signal enhancement. We then investigated the feasibility of imaging the uptake (delivery, transport and metabolism) of naturally-occuring glutamine using CEST MRI in preclinical prostate cancer models, wherein key metabolic proteins are the glutamine transporter ASCT2 and as well as enzymes GLS1, ALT2 (GPT2), AST1 (GOT1), and GDH1 (GLUD1). The LNCaP prostate cancer line exhibited higher expression of ASCT2, GDH1, ALT2, and AST1 compared to DU-145 cells. CEST MRI enhancement upon administration of glutamine was consistently higher in LNCaP 3D spheres (phantoms) and tumors (in vivo) than their DU-145 counterparts. Mass spectrometry imaging confirmed higher uptake and metabolism of glutamine in LNCaP tumors. These findings demonstrate that CEST MRI of glutamine is capable of distinguishing preclinical prostate tumor models that differ in glutamine uptake and has potential for translation to clinical use.

Identifiers

PMID40750673
PMCPMC12316899

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Registered trials

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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.