Magnetic resonance imaging detects suppression of tumor vascular permeability after administration of antibody to vascular endothelial growth factor

Macromolecular contrast medium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tumor-volume measurements were applied to monitor the effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody on microvascular characteristics and tumor growth of MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells implanted in nude rats. Administration of anti-VEGF antibody (three 1 mg doses at 3-day intervals) induced significant reductions in tumor growth rates (p < 0.05) and in MRI-assayed microvascular permeabilities (p < 0.05). Results of the study were consistent with previous observations that new microvessels formed in response to angiogenesis are hyperpermeable, and with the hypothesis that hyperpermeability is a mechanistic element in angiogenesis. Variations in tumor-vessel hyperpermeability can be measured by contrast-enhanced MRI, which may prove useful for assessing antiangiogenesis therapy.