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Maxouri O, Bodalal Z, Daal M, Rostami S, Rodriguez I, Akkari L, Srinivas M, Bernards R, Beets-Tan R. How to 19F MRI: applications, technique, and getting started. BJR Open 2023; 5:20230019. [PMID: 37953866 PMCID: PMC10636348 DOI: 10.1259/bjro.20230019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a significant role in the routine imaging workflow, providing both anatomical and functional information. 19F MRI is an evolving imaging modality where instead of 1H, 19F nuclei are excited. As the signal from endogenous 19F in the body is negligible, exogenous 19F signals obtained by 19F radiofrequency coils are exceptionally specific. Highly fluorinated agents targeting particular biological processes (i.e., the presence of immune cells) have been visualised using 19F MRI, highlighting its potential for non-invasive and longitudinal molecular imaging. This article aims to provide both a broad overview of the various applications of 19F MRI, with cancer imaging as a focus, as well as a practical guide to 19F imaging. We will discuss the essential elements of a 19F system and address common pitfalls during acquisition. Last but not least, we will highlight future perspectives that will enhance the role of this modality. While not an exhaustive exploration of all 19F literature, we endeavour to encapsulate the broad themes of the field and introduce the world of 19F molecular imaging to newcomers. 19F MRI bridges several domains, imaging, physics, chemistry, and biology, necessitating multidisciplinary teams to be able to harness this technology effectively. As further technical developments allow for greater sensitivity, we envision that 19F MRI can help unlock insight into biological processes non-invasively and longitudinally.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - René Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Chapelin F, Gedaly R, Sweeney Z, Gossett LJ. Prognostic Value of Fluorine-19 MRI Oximetry Monitoring in cancer. Mol Imaging Biol 2022; 24:208-219. [PMID: 34708396 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-021-01648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia is a key prognostic indicator in most solid tumors, as it is correlated to tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, recurrence, and response to therapy. Accurate measurement and mapping of tumor oxygenation profile and changes upon intervention could facilitate disease progression assessment and assist in treatment planning. Currently, no gold standard exists for non-invasive spatiotemporal measurement of hypoxia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents an attractive option as it is a clinically available and non-ionizing imaging modality. Specifically, perfluorocarbon (PFC) beacons can be externally introduced into the tumor tissue and the linear dependence of their spin-lattice relaxation rate (R1) on the local partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) exploited for real-time tissue oxygenation monitoring in vivo. In this review, we will focus on early studies and recent developments of fluorine-19 MRI and spectroscopy (MRS) for evaluation of tumor oximetry and response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Chapelin
- F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 514F RMB, 143 Graham Avenue, Lexington, KY, USA.
- Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Roberto Gedaly
- Lucille Parker Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Surgery, Transplant Division, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Zachary Sweeney
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Liza J Gossett
- F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 514F RMB, 143 Graham Avenue, Lexington, KY, USA
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Darçot E, Yerly J, Hilbert T, Colotti R, Najdenovska E, Kober T, Stuber M, van Heeswijk RB. Compressed sensing with signal averaging for improved sensitivity and motion artifact reduction in fluorine-19 MRI. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2021; 34:e4418. [PMID: 33002268 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Fluorine-19 (19 F) MRI of injected perfluorocarbon emulsions (PFCs) allows for the non-invasive quantification of inflammation and cell tracking, but suffers from a low signal-to-noise ratio and extended scan time. To address this limitation, we tested the hypotheses that a 19 F MRI pulse sequence that combines a specific undersampling regime with signal averaging has both increased sensitivity and robustness against motion artifacts compared with a non-averaged fully sampled pulse sequence, when both datasets are reconstructed with compressed sensing. As a proof of principle, numerical simulations and phantom experiments were performed on selected variable ranges to characterize the point spread function of undersampling patterns, as well as the vulnerability to noise of undersampling and reconstruction parameters with paired numbers of x signal averages and acceleration factor x (NAx-AFx). The numerical simulations demonstrated that a probability density function that uses 25% of the samples to fully sample the k-space central area allowed for an optimal balance between limited blurring and artifact incoherence. At all investigated noise levels, the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) strongly depended on the regularization parameters and acceleration factor. In phantoms, the motion robustness of an NA8-AF8 undersampling pattern versus NA1-AF1 was evaluated with simulated and real motion patterns. Differences were assessed with the DSC, which was consistently higher for the NA8-AF8 compared with the NA1-AF1 strategy, for both simulated and real cyclic motion patterns (P < 0.001). Both strategies were validated in vivo in mice (n = 2) injected with perfluoropolyether. Here, the images displayed a sharper delineation of the liver with the NA8-AF8 strategy than with the NA1-AF1 strategy. In conclusion, we validated the hypotheses that in 19 F MRI the combination of undersampling and averaging improves both the sensitivity and the robustness against motion artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emeline Darçot
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Yerly
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tom Hilbert
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology (HC CMEA SUI DI PI), Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Colotti
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elena Najdenovska
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Kober
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology (HC CMEA SUI DI PI), Siemens Healthcare AG, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Signal Processing Laboratory 5 (LTS5), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Stuber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ruud B van Heeswijk
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland
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Wüst RCI, Calcagno C, Daal MRR, Nederveen AJ, Coolen BF, Strijkers GJ. Emerging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques for Atherosclerosis Imaging. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2020; 39:841-849. [PMID: 30917678 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.118.311756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a prevalent disease affecting a large portion of the population at one point in their lives. There is an unmet need for noninvasive diagnostics to identify and characterize at-risk plaque phenotypes noninvasively and in vivo, to improve the stratification of patients with cardiovascular disease, and for treatment evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging is uniquely positioned to address these diagnostic needs. However, currently available magnetic resonance imaging methods for vessel wall imaging lack sufficient discriminative and predictive power to guide the individual patient needs. To address this challenge, physicists are pushing the boundaries of magnetic resonance atherosclerosis imaging to increase image resolution, provide improved quantitative evaluation of plaque constituents, and obtain readouts of disease activity such as inflammation. Here, we review some of these important developments, with specific focus on emerging applications using high-field magnetic resonance imaging, the use of quantitative relaxation parameter mapping for improved plaque characterization, and novel 19F magnetic resonance imaging technology to image plaque inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob C I Wüst
- From the Biomedical Engineering and Physics (R.C.I.W., M.R.R.D., B.F.C., G.J.S.), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Claudia Calcagno
- Department of Radiology, Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (C.C., G.J.S.)
| | - Mariah R R Daal
- From the Biomedical Engineering and Physics (R.C.I.W., M.R.R.D., B.F.C., G.J.S.), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Aart J Nederveen
- Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (A.J.N.), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bram F Coolen
- From the Biomedical Engineering and Physics (R.C.I.W., M.R.R.D., B.F.C., G.J.S.), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gustav J Strijkers
- From the Biomedical Engineering and Physics (R.C.I.W., M.R.R.D., B.F.C., G.J.S.), Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Radiology, Translational and Molecular Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (C.C., G.J.S.)
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Starke L, Pohlmann A, Prinz C, Niendorf T, Waiczies S. Performance of compressed sensing for fluorine-19 magnetic resonance imaging at low signal-to-noise ratio conditions. Magn Reson Med 2019; 84:592-608. [PMID: 31863516 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.28135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine the performance of compressed sensing (CS) in reconstructing low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 19 F MR signals that are close to the detection threshold and originate from small signal sources with no a priori known location. METHODS Regularization strength was adjusted automatically based on noise level. As performance metrics, root-mean-square deviations, true positive rates (TPRs), and false discovery rates were computed. CS and conventional reconstructions were compared at equal measurement time and evaluated in relation to high-SNR reference data. 19 F MR data were generated from a purpose-built phantom and benchmarked against simulations, as well as from the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model. We quantified the signal intensity bias and introduced an intensity calibration for in vivo data using high-SNR ex vivo data. RESULTS Low-SNR 19 F MR data could be reliably reconstructed. Detection sensitivity was consistently improved and data fidelity was preserved for undersampling and averaging factors of α = 2 or = 3. Higher α led to signal blurring in the mouse model. The improved TPRs at α = 3 were comparable to a 2.5-fold increase in measurement time. Whereas CS resulted in a downward bias of the 19 F MR signal, Fourier reconstructions resulted in an unexpected upward bias of similar magnitude. The calibration corrected signal-intensity deviations for all reconstructions. CONCLUSION CS is advantageous whenever image features are close to the detection threshold. It is a powerful tool, even for low-SNR data with sparsely distributed 19 F signals, to improve spatial and temporal resolution in 19 F MR applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludger Starke
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Pohlmann
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Prinz
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint cooperation between the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonia Waiczies
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
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Waiczies S, Srinivas M, Flögel U, Boehm-Sturm P, Niendorf T. Special issue on fluorine-19 magnetic resonance: technical solutions, research promises and frontier applications. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 32:1-3. [PMID: 30730025 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-019-00741-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Waiczies
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mangala Srinivas
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center (RadboudUMC), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Flögel
- Experimental Cardiovascular Imaging, Molecular Cardiology, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Philipp Boehm-Sturm
- Department of Experimental Neurology and Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence and Charité Core Facility 7T Experimental MRIs, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thoralf Niendorf
- Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (B.U.F.F.), Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
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