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Lam B, Velasquez M, Ogiyama T, Godines K, Szu FY, Velasquez-Mao AJ, AlGhuraibawi W, Wang J, Messersmith PB, Vandsburger MH. Imaging of adeno-associated viral capsids for purposes of gene editing using CEST NMR/MRI. Magn Reson Med 2024; 92:792-806. [PMID: 38651648 PMCID: PMC11142879 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.30058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Gene therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene delivery has undergone substantial growth in recent years with promising results in both preclinical and clinical studies, as well as emerging regulatory approval. However, the inability to quantify the efficacy of gene therapy from cellular delivery of gene-editing technology to specific functional outcomes is an obstacle for efficient development of gene therapy treatments. Building on prior works that used the CEST reporter gene lysine rich protein, we hypothesized that AAV viral capsids may generate endogenous CEST contrast from an abundance of surface lysine residues. METHODS NMR experiments were performed on isolated solutions of AAV serotypes 1-9 on a Bruker 800-MHz vertical scanner. In vitro experiments were performed for testing of CEST-NMR contrast of AAV2 capsids under varying pH, density, biological transduction stage, and across multiple serotypes and mixed biological media. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify virus concentration. Subsequent experiments at 7 T optimized CEST saturation schemes for AAV contrast detection and detected AAV2 particles encapsulated in a biocompatible hydrogel administered in the hind limb of mice. RESULTS CEST-NMR experiments revealed CEST contrast up to 52% for AAV2 viral capsids between 0.6 and 0.8 ppm. CEST contrast generated by AAV2 demonstrated high levels of CEST contrast across a variety of chemical environments, concentrations, and saturation schemes. AAV2 CEST contrast displayed significant positive correlations with capsid density (R2 > 0.99, p < 0.001), pH (R2 = 0.97, p = 0.01), and viral titer per cell count (R2 = 0.92, p < 0.001). Transition to a preclinical field strength yielded up to 11.8% CEST contrast following optimization of saturation parameters. In vivo detection revealed statistically significant molecular contrast between viral and empty hydrogels using both mean values (4.67 ± 0.75% AAV2 vs. 3.47 ± 0.87% empty hydrogel, p = 0.02) and quantile analysis. CONCLUSION AAV2 viral capsids exhibit strong capacity as an endogenous CEST contrast agent and can potentially be used for monitoring and evaluation of AAV vector-mediated gene therapy protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Lam
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mark Velasquez
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Tomoko Ogiyama
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Kevin Godines
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Fan-Yun Szu
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - A J Velasquez-Mao
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - Jingshen Wang
- Division of Biostatistics, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Phillip B Messersmith
- Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
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Ali SM, Yadav NN, Wirestam R, Singh M, Heo HY, van Zijl PC, Knutsson L. Deep learning-based Lorentzian fitting of water saturation shift referencing spectra in MRI. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:1610-1624. [PMID: 37279008 PMCID: PMC10524193 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Water saturation shift referencing (WASSR) Z-spectra are used commonly for field referencing in chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI. However, their analysis using least-squares (LS) Lorentzian fitting is time-consuming and prone to errors because of the unavoidable noise in vivo. A deep learning-based single Lorentzian Fitting Network (sLoFNet) is proposed to overcome these shortcomings. METHODS A neural network architecture was constructed and its hyperparameters optimized. Training was conducted on a simulated and in vivo-paired data sets of discrete signal values and their corresponding Lorentzian shape parameters. The sLoFNet performance was compared with LS on several WASSR data sets (both simulated and in vivo 3T brain scans). Prediction errors, robustness against noise, effects of sampling density, and time consumption were compared. RESULTS LS and sLoFNet performed comparably in terms of RMS error and mean absolute error on all in vivo data with no statistically significant difference. Although the LS method fitted well on samples with low noise, its error increased rapidly when increasing sample noise up to 4.5%, whereas the error of sLoFNet increased only marginally. With the reduction of Z-spectral sampling density, prediction errors increased for both methods, but the increase occurred earlier (at 25 vs. 15 frequency points) and was more pronounced for LS. Furthermore, sLoFNet performed, on average, 70 times faster than the LS-method. CONCLUSION Comparisons between LS and sLoFNet on simulated and in vivo WASSR MRI Z-spectra in terms of robustness against noise and decreased sample resolution, as well as time consumption, showed significant advantages for sLoFNet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nirbhay N. Yadav
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ronnie Wirestam
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Munendra Singh
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hye-Young Heo
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Peter C. van Zijl
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Linda Knutsson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Bie C, van Zijl P, Xu J, Song X, Yadav NN. Radiofrequency labeling strategies in chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4944. [PMID: 37002814 PMCID: PMC10312378 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI has generated great interest for molecular imaging applications because it can image low-concentration solute molecules in vivo with enhanced sensitivity. CEST effects are detected indirectly through a reduction in the bulk water signal after repeated perturbation of the solute proton magnetization using one or more radiofrequency (RF) irradiation pulses. The parameters used for these RF pulses-frequency offset, duration, shape, strength, phase, and interpulse spacing-determine molecular specificity and detection sensitivity, thus their judicious selection is critical for successful CEST MRI scans. This review article describes the effects of applying RF pulses on spin systems and compares conventional saturation-based RF labeling with more recent excitation-based approaches that provide spectral editing capabilities for selectively detecting molecules of interest and obtaining maximal contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongxue Bie
- Department of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, No.1 Xuefu Avenue, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710127 (China)
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21205 (USA)
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205 (USA)
| | - Peter van Zijl
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21205 (USA)
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205 (USA)
| | - Jiadi Xu
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21205 (USA)
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205 (USA)
| | - Xiaolei Song
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian District, Beijing 100084 (China)
| | - Nirbhay N. Yadav
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N. Broadway, Baltimore MD 21205 (USA)
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205 (USA)
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Chung J, Jin T. Average saturation efficiency filter ASEF-CEST MRI of stroke rodents. Magn Reson Med 2023; 89:565-576. [PMID: 36300851 PMCID: PMC9757140 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The average saturation efficiency filter (ASEF) is a novel method of improving the specificity of CEST; however, there is a mismatch between the magnetization transfer (MT) effect under high-duty cycle and low-duty cycle pulse trains. We explore measures of mitigation and the sensitivity and potential of ASEF imaging in phantoms and stroke rats. METHODS Simulation and nicotinamide phantoms in denatured protein were used to investigate the effect of different average saturation powers and MT pool parameters on matching coefficients used for correction as well as the ASEF ratio signal and baseline. Then, in vivo studies were performed in stroke rodents to further investigate the sensitivity and fidelity of ASEF ratio spectra. RESULTS Simulation and studies of nicotinamide phantoms show that the matching coefficient needed to correct the baseline MT mismatch is strongly dependent on the average saturation power. In vivo studies in stroke rodents show that the matching coefficient required to correct the baseline MT mismatch is different for normal versus ischemic tissue. Thus, a baseline correction was performed to further suppress the residue MT mismatch. After correction of the mismatch, ASEF ratio achieved comparable contrast at 3.6 ppm between normal and ischemic tissue when compared to the apparent amide proton transfer (APT*) approach. Moreover, contrasts for 2.0 and 2.6 ppm were also ascertainable from the same spectra. CONCLUSION ASEF can improve the CEST signal specificity of slow exchange labile protons such as amide and guanidyl, with small loss to sensitivity. It has strong potential in the CEST imaging of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Chung
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tao Jin
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Zaiss M, Jin T, Kim SG, Gochberg DF. Theory of chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI in the context of different magnetic fields. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4789. [PMID: 35704180 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a versatile MRI method that provides contrast based on the level of molecular and metabolic activity. This contrast arises from indirect measurement of protons in low concentration molecules that are exchanging with the abundant water proton pool. The indirect measurement is based on magnetization transfer of radio frequency (rf)-prepared magnetization from the small pool to the water pool. The signal can be modeled by the Bloch-McConnell equations combining standard magnetization dynamics and chemical exchange processes. In this article, we review analytical solutions of the Bloch-McConnell equations and especially the derived CEST signal equations and their implications. The analytical solutions give direct insight into the dependency of measurable CEST effects on underlying parameters such as the exchange rate and concentration of the solute pools, but also on the system parameters such as the rf irradiation field B1 , as well as the static magnetic field B0 . These theoretical field-strength dependencies and their influence on sequence design are highlighted herein. In vivo results of different groups making use of these field-strength benefits/dependencies are reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Zaiss
- High-field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany
- Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tao Jin
- NeuroImaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seong-Gi Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Daniel F Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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6
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Zhao Y, Zu Z, Xu J, Gore JC, Does MD, Li J, Gochberg DF. Mapping pH using stimulated echoes formed via chemical exchange. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 92:100-107. [PMID: 35764217 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE RACETE (refocused acquisition of chemical exchange transferred excitations) is a recently developed approach to imaging solute exchange with water. However, it lacks biophysical specificity, as it is sensitive to exchange rates, relaxation rates, solute concentration, and macromolecular content. We modified this sequence and developed a protocol and corresponding metric with specific sensitivity to the solute exchange rate and hence a means for mapping pH. THEORY AND METHODS RACETE splits the two gradients traditionally used in a stimulated-echo sequence into one applied after exciting solutes and one applied after exciting water, hence requiring exchange for echo formation. In this work, we leverage the dependence of the stimulated-echo signal on the exchange process. By preserving the total irradiation power and using a ratio metric, the other signal dependencies cancel, leaving a specific measure of exchange rate. Additionally, artifacts due to off-resonance excitation of water are addressed using a phase cancelling approach; and a gradient-echo imaging sequence with a variable flip angle excitation is tailored for a fast read-out of RECETE prepared signals. This method is validated using numerical simulations and salicylic acid phantom experiments at 9.4 T. RESULTS Numerical simulations and phantom experiments demonstrate that the ratio-metric is a single-variable function of exchange rate with extremely low dependence on confounding factors. Additionally, artifacts due to direct water excitation are removed and robustness to B0 and B1 inhomogeneities is demonstrated. CONCLUSION The proposed method can be used for fast pH mapping with robustness against the confounding effects that widely exist in other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhao
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Junzhong Xu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John C Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Mark D Does
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jianqi Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, School of Physics and Electronic Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Daniel F Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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7
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Wu QX, Liu HQ, Wang YJ, Chen TC, Wei ZY, Chang JH, Chen TH, Seema J, Lin EC. Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) Signal at −1.6 ppm and Its Application for Imaging a C6 Glioma Model. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061220. [PMID: 35740241 PMCID: PMC9219881 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) signal at −1.6 ppm is attributed to the choline methyl on phosphatidylcholines and results from the relayed nuclear Overhauser effect (rNOE), that is, rNOE(−1.6). The formation of rNOE(−1.6) involving the cholesterol hydroxyl is shown in liposome models. We aimed to confirm the correlation between cholesterol content and rNOE(−1.6) in cell cultures, tissues, and animals. C57BL/6 mice (N = 9) bearing the C6 glioma tumor were imaged in a 7 T MRI scanner, and their rNOE(−1.6) images were cross-validated through cholesterol staining with filipin. Cholesterol quantification was obtained using an 18.8-T NMR spectrometer from the lipid extracts of the brain tissues from another group of mice (N = 3). The cholesterol content in the cultured cells was manipulated using methyl-β-cyclodextrin and a complex of cholesterol and methyl-β-cyclodextrin. The rNOE(−1.6) of the cell homogenates and their cholesterol levels were measured using a 9.4-T NMR spectrometer. The rNOE(−1.6) signal is hypointense in the C6 tumors of mice, which matches the filipin staining results, suggesting that their tumor region is cholesterol deficient. The tissue extracts also indicate less cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine contents in tumors than in normal brain tissues. The amplitude of rNOE(−1.6) is positively correlated with the cholesterol concentration in the cholesterol-manipulated cell cultures. Our results indicate that the cholesterol dependence of rNOE(−1.6) occurs in cell cultures and solid tumors of C6 glioma. Furthermore, when the concentration of phosphatidylcholine is carefully considered, rNOE(−1.6) can be developed as a cholesterol-weighted imaging technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Xuan Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (T.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Hong-Qing Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (T.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Yi-Jiun Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
| | - Tsai-Chen Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (T.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Zi-Ying Wei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (T.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Jung-Hsuan Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
| | - Ting-Hao Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
| | - Jaya Seema
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan; (T.-C.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Eugene C. Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (Q.-X.W.); (H.-Q.L.); (Y.-J.W.); (Z.-Y.W.); (J.-H.C.); (T.-H.C.)
- Center for Nano Bio-Detection, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-5-272-0411 (ext. 66418); Fax: +886-5-272-1040
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Zhou J, Zaiss M, Knutsson L, Sun PZ, Ahn SS, Aime S, Bachert P, Blakeley JO, Cai K, Chappell MA, Chen M, Gochberg DF, Goerke S, Heo HY, Jiang S, Jin T, Kim SG, Laterra J, Paech D, Pagel MD, Park JE, Reddy R, Sakata A, Sartoretti-Schefer S, Sherry AD, Smith SA, Stanisz GJ, Sundgren PC, Togao O, Vandsburger M, Wen Z, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Zhu W, Zu Z, van Zijl PCM. Review and consensus recommendations on clinical APT-weighted imaging approaches at 3T: Application to brain tumors. Magn Reson Med 2022; 88:546-574. [PMID: 35452155 PMCID: PMC9321891 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MR imaging shows promise as a biomarker of brain tumor status. Currently used APTw MRI pulse sequences and protocols vary substantially among different institutes, and there are no agreed-on standards in the imaging community. Therefore, the results acquired from different research centers are difficult to compare, which hampers uniform clinical application and interpretation. This paper reviews current clinical APTw imaging approaches and provides a rationale for optimized APTw brain tumor imaging at 3 T, including specific recommendations for pulse sequences, acquisition protocols, and data processing methods. We expect that these consensus recommendations will become the first broadly accepted guidelines for APTw imaging of brain tumors on 3 T MRI systems from different vendors. This will allow more medical centers to use the same or comparable APTw MRI techniques for the detection, characterization, and monitoring of brain tumors, enabling multi-center trials in larger patient cohorts and, ultimately, routine clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyuan Zhou
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Linda Knutsson
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Phillip Zhe Sun
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sung Soo Ahn
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Silvio Aime
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Peter Bachert
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jaishri O Blakeley
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kejia Cai
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael A Chappell
- Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences and Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
| | - Daniel F Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Steffen Goerke
- Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hye-Young Heo
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shanshan Jiang
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tao Jin
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Seong-Gi Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - John Laterra
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel Paech
- Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinic for Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mark D Pagel
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ji Eun Park
- Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ravinder Reddy
- Center for Advance Metabolic Imaging in Precision Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Akihiko Sakata
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - A Dean Sherry
- Advanced Imaging Research Center and Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Greg J Stanisz
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pia C Sundgren
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology/Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Lund University Bioimaging Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Medical Imaging and Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Osamu Togao
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Diagnosis, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Zhibo Wen
- Department of Radiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yin Wu
- Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS), Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Peter C M van Zijl
- Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Gao T, Zou C, Li Y, Jiang Z, Tang X, Song X. A Brief History and Future Prospects of CEST MRI in Clinical Non-Brain Tumor Imaging. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11559. [PMID: 34768990 PMCID: PMC8584005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is a promising molecular imaging tool which allows the specific detection of metabolites that contain exchangeable amide, amine, and hydroxyl protons. Decades of development have progressed CEST imaging from an initial concept to a clinical imaging tool that is used to assess tumor metabolism. The first translation efforts involved brain imaging, but this has now progressed to imaging other body tissues. In this review, we summarize studies using CEST MRI to image a range of tumor types, including breast cancer, pelvic tumors, digestive tumors, and lung cancer. Approximately two thirds of the published studies involved breast or pelvic tumors which are sites that are less affected by body motion. Most studies conclude that CEST shows good potential for the differentiation of malignant from benign lesions with a number of reports now extending to compare different histological classifications along with the effects of anti-cancer treatments. Despite CEST being a unique 'label-free' approach with a higher sensitivity than MR spectroscopy, there are still some obstacles for implementing its clinical use. Future research is now focused on overcoming these challenges. Vigorous ongoing development and further clinical trials are expected to see CEST technology become more widely implemented as a mainstream imaging technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianxin Gao
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Chuyue Zou
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Yifan Li
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
| | - Zhenqi Jiang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- School of Life Science, Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (T.G.); (C.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Xiaolei Song
- Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
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10
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Schmitz-Abecassis B, Vinogradov E, Wijnen JP, van Harten T, Wiegers EC, Hoogduin H, van Osch MJP, Ercan E. The use of variable delay multipulse chemical exchange saturation transfer for separately assessing different CEST pools in the human brain at 7T. Magn Reson Med 2021; 87:872-883. [PMID: 34520077 PMCID: PMC9290048 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Current challenges of in vivo CEST imaging include overlapping signals from different pools. The overlap arises from closely resonating pools and/or the broad magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) from macromolecules. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of variable delay multipulse (VDMP) CEST to separately assess solute pools with different chemical exchange rates in the human brain in vivo, while mitigating the MTC. METHODS VDMP saturation buildup curves were simulated for amines, amides, and relayed nuclear Overhauser effect. VDMP data were acquired from glutamate and bovine serum albumin phantoms, and from six healthy volunteers at 7T. For the in vivo data, MTC removal was performed via a three-pool Lorentzian fitting. Different B1 amplitudes and mixing times were used to evaluate CEST pools with different exchange rates. RESULTS The results show the importance of removing MTC when applying VDMP in vivo and the influence of B1 for distinguishing different pools. Finally, the optimal B1 and mixing times to effectively saturate slow- and fast-exchanging components are also reported. Slow-exchanging amides and rNOE components could be distinguished when using B1 = 1 μT and tmix = 10 ms and 40 ms, respectively. Fast-exchanging components reached the highest saturation when using a B1 = 2.8 μT and tmix = 0 ms. CONCLUSION VDMP is a powerful CEST-editing tool, exploiting chemical exchange-rate differences. After MTC removal, it allows separate assessment of slow- and fast-exchanging solute pools in in vivo human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Schmitz-Abecassis
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Vinogradov
- Department of Radiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Jannie P Wijnen
- Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs van Harten
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Evita C Wiegers
- Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Hoogduin
- Imaging Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias J P van Osch
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ece Ercan
- C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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11
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Chung JJ, Jin T. Low duty cycle pulse trains for exchange rate insensitive chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI. Magn Reson Med 2021; 86:2542-2551. [PMID: 34196028 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To introduce and validate a pulse scheme that uses low duty cycle trains of π-pulses to achieve saturation that is relatively insensitive to exchange rate yet linearly dependent on labile proton concentration. METHODS Simulations were performed to explore the exchange rate sensitivity of π-pulse trains and continuous wave chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) signals. Creatine phantoms with varying pH and varying concentrations were imaged to demonstrate pH insensitivity and concentration dependence of low duty cycle π-pulse saturation. RESULTS Simulations show decreasing the duty cycle of π-pulse saturation decreases peak sensitivity to exchange rate, and this range of insensitivity can be tuned to different exchange rates through average B1 power. The range of insensitivity is unaffected by changes in relaxation and magnetization transfer, while the sensitivity of CEST signal maintains linear dependence on labile proton concentration. Under B1, avg = 0.48 μT, 30 mM creatine with pHs ranging between 6.36 and 8.21 exhibited CEST contrast ranging between ~6 and 11% under continuous wave and ~4% across all pHs using 10% duty cycle π-pulses. Imaging these phantoms using duty cycles of 5, 10, 25, and 50% showed decreasing pH sensitivity with decreased duty cycle. Creatine phantoms with varied concentrations and pHs reveal that π-pulse train saturation exhibited stricter correlation to concentration at lower DCs. CONCLUSION Low DC π-pulse train is an easy-to-implement way of providing labile proton concentration-dependent CEST MRI signal that is insensitive to exchange rate. This approach can be useful in studies where a change of chemical exchange rate may interfere with accurate assessments of physiology or pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Juhyun Chung
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tao Jin
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Zu Z, Lin EC, Louie EA, Jiang X, Lankford CL, Damon B, Does MD, Gore JC, Gochberg DF. Chemical exchange rotation transfer imaging of phosphocreatine in muscle. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4437. [PMID: 33283945 PMCID: PMC7902410 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging, the signal at 2.6 ppm from the water resonance in muscle has been assigned to phosphocreatine (PCr). However, this signal has limited specificity for PCr since the signal is also sensitive to exchange with protein and macromolecular protons when using some conventional quantification methods, and will vary with changes in the water longitudinal relaxation rate. Correcting for these effects while maintaining reasonable acquisition times is challenging. As an alternative approach to overcome these problems, here we evaluate chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT) imaging of PCr in muscle at 9.4 T. Specifically, the CERT metric, AREXdouble,cpw at 2.6 ppm, was measured in solutions containing the main muscle metabolites, in tissue homogenates with controlled PCr content, and in vivo in rat leg muscles. PCr dominates CERT metrics around 2.6 ppm (although with nontrivial confounding baseline contributions), indicating that CERT is well-suited to PCr specific imaging, and has the added benefit of requiring a relatively small number of acquisitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongliang Zu
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Eugene C. Lin
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Elizabeth A. Louie
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Christopher L. Lankford
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Bruce Damon
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Mark D. Does
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - John C. Gore
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Deparment of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Daniel F. Gochberg
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Deparment of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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Wood TC, Teixeira RPAG, Malik SJ. Magnetization transfer and frequency distribution effects in the SSFP ellipse. Magn Reson Med 2019; 84:857-865. [PMID: 31872921 PMCID: PMC7216875 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Purpose To demonstrate that quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) parameters can be extracted from steady‐state free‐precession (SSFP) data with no external T1 map or banding artifacts. Methods SSFP images with multiple MT weightings were acquired and qMT parameters fitted with a two‐stage elliptical signal model. Results Monte Carlo simulations and data from a 3T scanner indicated that most qMT parameters could be recovered with reasonable accuracy. Systematic deviations from theory were observed in white matter, consistent with previous literature on frequency distribution effects. Conclusions qMT parameters can be extracted from SSFP data alone, in a manner robust to banding artifacts, despite several confounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias C Wood
- Department of Neuroimaging, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rui P A G Teixeira
- School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shaihan J Malik
- School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, UK
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Goerke S, Soehngen Y, Deshmane A, Zaiss M, Breitling J, Boyd PS, Herz K, Zimmermann F, Klika KD, Schlemmer H, Paech D, Ladd ME, Bachert P. Relaxation‐compensated APT and rNOE CEST‐MRI of human brain tumors at 3 T. Magn Reson Med 2019; 82:622-632. [DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Goerke
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Yannick Soehngen
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Anagha Deshmane
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Moritz Zaiss
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Johannes Breitling
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Max‐Planck‐Institute for Nuclear Physics Heidelberg Germany
| | - Philip S. Boyd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Kai Herz
- Department of High‐Field Magnetic Resonance Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biological Cybernetics Tübingen Germany
| | - Ferdinand Zimmermann
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Karel D. Klika
- Molecular Structure Analysis German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Heinz‐Peter Schlemmer
- Department of Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Medicine University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Daniel Paech
- Department of Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
| | - Mark E. Ladd
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Medicine University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - Peter Bachert
- Division of Medical Physics in Radiology German Cancer Research Center Heidelberg Germany
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy University of Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
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