Grant: Project Grant

Brain cells break down glucose to provide the fuel need for cell growth and functioning. Glucose is first transformed into pyruvate which then passes through several stages to release energy. Sometimes the pyruvate follows a different pathway of processing leading to the formation of lactate. Lactate has been found to play multiple roles in the brain, for example, in memory and learning, and in the excitability of neurons. Excess lactate has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, and in brain tumours is correlated with treatment resistance and reduced survival. Recognizing the importance of understanding the pyruvate to lactate transformation this project will use an enhanced non-invasive MRI method to image pyruvate and lactate in the brains of 96 men and women volunteers whose ages range from 18 to over sixty years. Measurements will be made from many different areas of the brain and from this a "map" will be constructed of the normal process, which can be used as a basis for designing further studies. As part of this project, measurements will be taken of blood flow in and out of the brain to assess if this can account for variations in lactate levels. A modified protocol for the enhanced MRI method will be used to assess the pathway of the lactate produced from the pyruvate. In a group of brain cancer patients, the pyruvate measurements in this study will be compared to their clinical MRI assessments. Understanding the characteristics of lactate metabolism in the brain can lead to establishing markers for diagnosing disease and monitoring treatments.