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Mohanta Z, Gori S, McMahon MT. Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Based CEST MRI Contrast Agents As an Emerging Design Strategy: A Mini-Review. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:27755-27765. [PMID: 38973929 PMCID: PMC11223143 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Intramolecular hydrogen bonding-based chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging (CEST MRI) contrast agents represent an innovative design strategy aiming to overcome limitations in diamagnetic CEST (diaCEST) MRI contrast agent specificity and also those associated with traditional metal-based MRI contrast agents. Ward and Balaban's proposal of small diamagnetic compounds marked a paradigm shift in contrast-based radiologic research, inspiring extensive investigations since 2000. These contrast agents leverage labile hydrogen bonds, serving as chemical exchange sites to induce saturation of water. The selective manipulation of radiofrequency (RF) allows for optimized signal contrast in soft tissue, with a significant signal amplification even at low probe concentrations, mitigating concerns about dose-dependent toxicities. This mini-review delves into the evolution of CEST MRI, its classification, and the strategic design principles of synthetic small molecules containing intramolecular hydrogen bonds. With a focus on applications and potential clinical relevance, the authors highlight the promising role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding-based CEST MRI in diverse medical contexts, especially renal imaging and pH mapping, paving the way for enhanced molecular imaging capabilities. Ongoing research endeavors aim to further optimize and expand the utility of these contrast agents, underscoring their transformative potential in clinical diagnostics and imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zinia Mohanta
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Sadakatali Gori
- Center
for Translational Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-3678, United States
| | - Michael T. McMahon
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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Mohanta Z, Stabinska J, Gilad AA, Barker PB, McMahon MT. The Proton Resonance Enhancement for CEST imaging and Shift Exchange (PRECISE) family of RF pulse shapes for Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599565. [PMID: 38948741 PMCID: PMC11212941 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Purpose To optimize a 100 msec pulse for producing CEST MRI contrast and evaluate in mice. Methods A gradient ascent algorithm was employed to generate a family of 100 point, 100 msec pulses for use in CEST pulse trains ('PRECISE'). Gradient ascent optimizations were performed for exchange rates (k ca ) = 500 s -1 , 1,500 s -1 , 2,500 s -1 , 3,500 s -1 and 4,500 s -1 and offsets (Δω) = 9.6, 7.8, 4.2 and 2.0 ppm. 7 PRECISE pulse shapes were tested on an 11.7 T scanner using a phantom containing three representative CEST agents with peak saturation B 1 = 4 μT. The pulse producing the most contrast in phantoms was then evaluated for CEST MRI pH mapping of the kidneys in healthy mice after iopamidol administration. Results The most promising pulse in terms of contrast performance across all three phantoms was the 9.6 ppm, 2500 s -1 optimized pulse with ∼2.7 x improvement over Gaussian and ∼1.3x's over Fermi pulses. This pulse also displayed a large improvement in contrast over the Gaussian pulse after administration of iopamidol in live mice. Conclusion A new 100 msec pulse was developed based on gradient ascent optimizations which produced better contrast compared to standard Gaussian and Fermi pulses in phantoms. This shape also showed a substantial improvement for CEST MRI pH mapping in live mice over the Gaussian shape and appears promising for a wide range of CEST applications.
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Zhao D, Wang W, Niu YY, Ren XH, Shen AJ, Xiang YS, Xie HY, Wu LH, Yu C, Zhang YY. Amide Proton Transfer-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Application in Renal Fibrosis: A Radiological-Pathological-Based Analysis. Am J Nephrol 2024; 55:334-344. [PMID: 38228096 DOI: 10.1159/000536232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Renal fibrosis (RF), being the most important pathological change in the progression of CKD, is currently assessed by the evaluation of a biopsy. This present study aimed to apply a novel functional MRI (fMRI) protocol named amide proton transfer (APT) weighting to evaluate RF noninvasively. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were initially subjected to bilateral kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), unilateral ureteral obstruction, and sham operation, respectively. All rats underwent APT mapping on the 7th and 14th days after operation. Besides, 26 patients underwent renal biopsy at the Nephrology Department of Shanghai Tongji Hospital between July 2022 and May 2023. Patients underwent APT and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mappings within 1 week before biopsy. MRI results of both patients and rats were calculated by comparing with gold standard histology for fibrosis assessment. RESULTS In animal models, the cortical APT (cAPT) and medullary APT (mAPT) values were positively correlated with the degree of RF. Compared to the sham group, IRI group showed significantly increased cAPT and mAPT values on the 7th and 14th days after surgery, but no group differences were found in ADC values. Similar results were found in human patients. Cortical/medullary APT values were significantly increased in patients with moderate-to-severe fibrosis than in patients with mild fibrosis. ROC curve analysis indicated that APT value displayed a better diagnostic value for RF. Furthermore, combination of cADC and cAPT improved fibrosis detection by imaging variables alone (p < 0.1). CONCLUSION APT values had better diagnostic capability at early stage of RF compared to ADC values, and the addition of APT imaging to conventional ADC will significantly improve the diagnostic performance for predicting kidney fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhao
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang-Yang Niu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi-Hui Ren
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ai-Jun Shen
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Sheng Xiang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Yan Xie
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Le-Hao Wu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Ying Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Zhang Q, Tao Q, Xie Y, Chen Z, Seeliger E, Niendorf T, Chen W, Feng Y. Assessment of rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury with chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2023; 13:8336-8349. [PMID: 38106319 PMCID: PMC10722020 DOI: 10.21037/qims-23-699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Rhabdomyolysis (RM)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common renal disease with low survival rate and inadequate prognosis. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessing the progression of RM-induced AKI in a mouse model. Methods AKI was induced in C57BL/6J mice via intramuscular injection of 7.5 mL/kg glycerol (n=30). Subsequently, serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining, were performed. Longitudinal CEST-MRI was conducted on days 1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 after AKI induction using a 7.0-T MRI system. CEST-MRI quantification parameters including magnetization transfer ratio (MTR), MTR asymmetric analysis (MTRasym), apparent amide proton transfer (APT*), and apparent relayed nuclear Overhauser effect (rNOE*) were used to investigate the feasibility of detecting RM-induced renal damage. Results Significant increases of SCr and BUN demonstrated established AKI. The HE staining revealed various degrees of tubular damage, and Masson staining indicted an increase in the degree of fibrosis in the injured kidneys. Among CEST parameters, the cortical MTR presented a significant difference, and it also showed the best diagnostic performance for AKI [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) =0.915] and moderate negative correlations with SCr and BUN. On the first day of renal damage, MTR was significantly reduced in cortex (22.7%±0.04%, P=0.013), outer stripe of outer medulla (24.7%±1.6%, P<0.001), and inner stripe of outer medulla (27.0%±1.5%, P<0.001) compared to the control group. Longitudinally, MTR increased steadily with AKI progression. Conclusions The MTR obtained from CEST-MRI is sensitive to the pathological changes in RM-induced AKI, indicating its potential clinical utility for the assessment of kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing & Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Quan Tao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing & Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Rehabilitation, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyao Xie
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing & Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zelong Chen
- Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Erdmann Seeliger
- Institute of Translational Physiology, Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wufan Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing & Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanqiu Feng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing & Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Shunde, Foshan), Foshan, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education & Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Kirsch H, Krüger PC, John-Kroegel U, Waginger M, Mentzel HJ. Functional MR urography in children - update 2023. ROFO-FORTSCHR RONTG 2023; 195:1097-1105. [PMID: 37479217 DOI: 10.1055/a-2099-5907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional MR urography (fMRU) has developed into an innovative, radiation-free option for assessing parameters of kidney function in pediatric radiology. The importance of fMRU in comparison to the standardized established nuclear medicine procedure (99mTc-Mercapto-acetyltriglycerine, MAG3 scintigraphy) is shown using SWOT analysis. METHODS To assess the current state of research, a selective literature search was carried out in PubMed. Taking into account the current scientific status, the examination technique, preparation, and evaluation of fMRU are presented. RESULTS As a result of the comparison with MAG3, fMRU is suitable for certain indications and represents an optimal combination of morphological and functional representation of the kidneys and urinary tract, especially in the case of surgical consequences. CONCLUSION fMRU has been successfully established as a diagnostic method for assessing the morphology and function of the kidneys in competition with MAG3 scintigraphy. KEY POINTS · Functional MRU allows reliable statements on the morphology and function of the kidneys and urinary tract.. · The results of the functional assessment of fMRU are comparable to the results of MAG3 scintigraphy.. · The complex implementation and demanding evaluation limits the spread of fMRU as a complete alternative to MAG3 scintigraphy. fMRU is reserved for special indications.. · Functional MRU has prevailed over MAG3 scintigraphy for complex renal and urinary tract anomalies (CAKUT) that require surgical correction. An example is the clarification of dribbling in girls, which is usually based on an ectopic opening of a ureter in a double system.. CITATION FORMAT · Kirsch H, Krüger P, John-Kroegel U et al. Functional MR urography in children - update 2023. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; 195: 1097 - 1105.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Kirsch
- Section of Pediatric Radiology, Jena University Hospital Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena, Germany
| | - Paul-Christian Krüger
- Section of Pediatric Radiology, Jena University Hospital Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrike John-Kroegel
- Section of Pediatric Nephrology, University Hospital Jena Department of Pediatrics, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Waginger
- Section of Pediatric Radiology, Jena University Hospital Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Joachim Mentzel
- Section of Pediatric Radiology, Jena University Hospital Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Jena, Germany
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Li T, Cárdenas-Rodríguez J, Trakru PN, Pagel MD. A machine learning approach that measures pH using acidoCEST MRI of iopamidol. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4986. [PMID: 37280721 PMCID: PMC10529789 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tumor acidosis is an important biomarker for aggressive tumors, and extracellular pH (pHe) of the tumor microenvironment can be used to predict and evaluate tumor responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. AcidoCEST MRI measures tumor pHe by exploiting the pH-dependent chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) effect of iopamidol, an exogenous CT agent repurposed for CEST MRI. However, all pH fitting methodologies for acidoCEST MRI data have limitations. Herein we present results of the application of machine learning for extracting pH values from CEST Z-spectra of iopamidol. We acquired 36,000 experimental CEST spectra from 200 phantoms of iopamidol prepared at five concentrations, five T1 values, and eight pH values at five temperatures, acquired at six saturation powers and six saturation times. We also acquired T1 , T2 , B1 RF power, and B0 magnetic field strength supplementary MR information. These MR images were used to train and validate machine learning models for the tasks of pH classification and pH regression. Specifically, we tested the L1-penalized logistic regression classification (LRC) model and the random forest classification (RFC) model for classifying the CEST Z-spectra for thresholds at pH 6.5 and 7.0. Our results showed that both RFC and LRC were effective for pH classification, although the RFC model achieved higher predictive value, and improved the accuracy of classification accuracy with CEST Z-spectra with a more limited set of saturation frequencies. Furthermore, we used LASSO and random forest regression (RFR) models to explore pH regression, which showed that the RFR model achieved higher accuracy and precision for estimating pH across the entire pH range of 6.2-7.3, especially when using a more limited set of features. Based on these results, machine learning for analysis of acidoCEST MRI is promising for eventual in vivo determination of tumor pHe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhe Li
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Priya N. Trakru
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
- Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Mark D. Pagel
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Bo S, Stabinska J, Wu Y, Pavuluri K, Singh A, Mohanta Z, Choudhry R, Kates M, Sedaghat F, Bhujwalla Z, Pomper MG, McMahon MT. Exploring the potential of the novel imidazole-4,5-dicarboxyamide chemical exchange saturation transfer scaffold for pH and perfusion imaging. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 36:e4894. [PMID: 36543742 PMCID: PMC10200726 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4894] [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: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Here, we describe and assess the potential of 14 newly synthesized imidazole-4,5-dicarboxyamides (I45DCs) for pH and perfusion imaging. A number of these aromatic compounds possess large labile proton chemical shifts (up to 7.7 ppm from water) because of their intramolecular hydrogen bonds and a second labile proton to allow for chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) signal ratio-based pH measurements. We have found that the contrast produced is strong for a wide range of substitutions and that the inflection points in the CEST signal ratio versus pH plots used to generate concentration-independent pH maps can be adjusted based on these subsitutions to tune the pH range that can be measured. These I45DC CEST agents have advantages over the triiodobenzenes currently employed for tumor and kidney pH mapping, both preclinically and in initial human studies. Finally, as CEST MRI combined with exogenous contrast has the potential to detect functional changes in the kidneys, we evaluated our highest performing anionic compound (I45DC-diGlu) on a unilateral urinary obstruction mouse model and observed lower contrast uptake in the obstructed kidney compared with the unobstructed kidney and that the unobstructed kidney displayed a pH of ~ 6.5 while the obstructed kidney had elevated pH and an increased range in pH values. Based on this, we conclude that the I45DCs have excellent imaging properties and hold promise for a variety of medical imaging applications, particularly renal imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowei Bo
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Julia Stabinska
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Yunkou Wu
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - KowsalyaDevi Pavuluri
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Aruna Singh
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Zinia Mohanta
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rehan Choudhry
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Max Kates
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Farzad Sedaghat
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Zaver Bhujwalla
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Martin G. Pomper
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Michael T. McMahon
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
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