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Advances in time-dependent diffusion MRI for noninvasive prediction of tumor molecular biomarkers
ZHAO Min  LI Xuemeng  WANG Aoyang  LIU Mengxiao  GAO Fei 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.01.034.


[Abstract] Time-dependent diffusion MRI (TDD-MRI) is an emerging noninvasive imaging technique with a unique capability for the quantitative interrogation of tissue and cellular microstructure. Pathological alterations in tumors are frequently accompanied by abnormalities in cellular microarchitecture, whereas conventional clinical assessments of tumor molecular biomarkers still largely depend on invasive procedures, which are limited by poor timeliness and difficulties in dynamic or longitudinal monitoring. The advent of TDD-MRI provides new opportunities for the noninvasive and in vivo evaluation of molecular biomarkers. Current studies suggest that TDD-MRI shows considerable potential in the assessment of tumor molecular biomarkers and may enable the characterization of differences in molecular mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment. However, TDD-MRI remains at an early stage of development. Major challenges include the absence of a standardized framework for parameter definitions, a lack of unified acquisition and analysis protocols, and insufficient integration with multimodal approaches such as radiomics. In this review, we systematically summarize recent advances in the application of TDD-MRI to tumor molecular biomarker evaluation, identify shared characteristics observed across studies within the same cancer type, and further analyze the sources of inter-study differences from the perspectives of parameter-specific mechanisms, tumor heterogeneity, and cross-cancer features. Finally, we delineate the limitations of current research and propose future directions to facilitate methodological standardization, expand cross-cancer applications, and promote clinical translation, thereby supporting the development of precision oncology.
[Keywords] time-dependent diffusion magnetic resonance imaging；oscillating gradient spin echo；biomarker；magnetic resonance imaging；tumor

ZHAO Min1   LI Xuemeng2   WANG Aoyang1   LIU Mengxiao3   GAO Fei4*  

1 Graduate School, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241000, China

2 Graduate School, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu 233030, China

3 Research Cooperation Department, Siemens Healthineers Ltd., Shanghai 201318, China

4 Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei 230001, China

Corresponding author: GAO F, E-mail: 15956912758@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-10-15
Accepted  2026-01-04
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.01.034
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.01.034.

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