Abstract 5776: Integrative analysis of regional MRI phenotypes in high-grade glioma: Dimensional reduction of multi-omics imaging and molecular profiles
Authors: Matthew W. Kenaston, Matthew Flick, Kasthuri Kannan, Michele Ceccarelli, Nhan Tran, Leland S. Hu
Journal: Cancer Research (2025)

Abstract Introduction: High-grade gliomas (HGG) are aggressive brain tumors with heterogeneous cell populations, including invasive regions driving disease progression and recurrence. Our previous work integrated molecular profiling with spatially matched advanced multiparametric MRI in a cohort of HGG patients with multi-regional sampling, uncovering distinct biological signatures linked to individual advanced MRI phenotypes. Yet, the relationships between MRI phenotypes—and how this potentially informs underlying biology—remains unexplored. Here, we leverage an unsupervised approach to dimensional reduction for a broad array of MRI features and compare regional transcriptomic signatures in a cohort of image-localized HGG samples. Methods: From our existing data, we selected 20 HGG patients with 73 multi-regional tumor biopsies, each including 18 advanced MRI parameter calculations. With an iterative approach, data was projected using uniform manifold approximation (UMAP) at multiple resolutions and clustered, producing high-confidence stable clusters. We used random forest modeling to assess cluster associations with previously identified signatures. Cluster-specific transcriptomic profiles were detected by DESeq2 and subsequent gene-set enrichment analysis. We further evaluated Pearson correlations and statistical fit with MRI image parameters by performing pathway analysis on genes with significant correlations by image feature, across clusters. Results: 8 clusters emerged from our analyses. Most advanced MRI features exhibited statistically significant differences across clusters, forming unique patterns of feature behavior. Notably, while these image-based clusters did not correlate well with metabolic profiles, contrast enhancement, or genomics, they did demonstrate distinct and HGG-relevant transcriptomic profiles, with shared and divergent signatures. Across clusters, we also identified several correlations between specific MRI parameters and gene pathway trends. These highlighted combined patterns of multiple MRI features, offering a spectrum of regional phenotypes imperceptible with single feature analysis. We generalize these results to an image-based decision matrix to detect biologic signatures for validation. Conclusion: Our integrative analysis of MRI mapping stratifies imaged-based patterns to non-invasively assess molecular signatures within HGG. This approach will help elucidate MRI biomarkers that may predict glioma behavior and support future individualized treatment approaches. Citation Format: Matthew W. Kenaston, Matthew Flick, Kasthuri Kannan, Michele Ceccarelli, Nhan Tran, Leland S. Hu. Integrative analysis of regional MRI phenotypes in high-grade glioma: Dimensional reduction of multi-omics imaging and molecular profiles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 5776.