Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Do-Wan Lee, Jae-Im Kwon, Hwon Heo, Chul-Woong Woo, Na Hee Yu, Kyung Won Kim, Dong-Cheol Woo
Summary: GluCEST and H-1-MRS were used to quantitatively evaluate and visualize hippocampal glutamate alterations in a rat model of sepsis-induced brain injury. The results showed significantly higher GluCEST values and glutamate concentrations in the sepsis-induced rats compared to controls as the LPS dose increased. GluCEST imaging may be a useful tool for defining biomarkers to estimate glutamate-related metabolism in sepsis-associated diseases.
Article
Biophysics
Zihua Qian, Ruibin Liu, Zhe Wu, Yi-Cheng Hsu, Caixia Fu, Yi Sun, Dan Wu, Yi Zhang
Summary: In this study, a simultaneous parallel transmission-based CEST sequence was proposed to achieve a longer saturation duration and improved RF saturation homogeneity. The sequence was optimized and tested in phantom models and human subjects, demonstrating improved image contrast and signal uniformity. The proposed method enables longer saturation duration at a 100% duty cycle and reduces the dielectric shading effects.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yusuke Takahashi, Hidetaka Kioka, Shinichiro Fukuhara, Sohei Kuribayashi, Shigeyoshi Saito, Yoshihiro Asano, Seiji Takashima, Yoshichika Yoshioka, Yasushi Sakata
Summary: This study investigated the utility of CrCEST imaging in evaluating spermatogenesis and its spatial distribution, showing a strong correlation between testicular CrCEST effects and spermatogenesis.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yusuke Takahashi, Hidetaka Kioka, Shigeyoshi Saito, Shinichiro Fukuhara, Yoshihiro Asano, Seiji Takashima, Yoshichika Yoshioka, Yasushi Sakata
Summary: This study utilized CrCEST imaging to assess testicular ischemia, revealing a strong linear correlation between the decline of MTRCr** and the duration of ischemia. Testicular CrCEST imaging was found to be useful for accurately estimating the duration of testicular ischemia.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Malvika Viswanathan, Yashwant Kurmi, Zhongliang Zu
Summary: Monitoring phosphocreatine (PCr) levels following exercise provides valuable insights into muscle function. This paper evaluated a new method called double saturation power (DSP)-CEST for estimating PCr CEST signals in muscle. The DSP-CEST method is fast, robust, and suitable for low-field applications.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hongyi Zheng, Wenbin Zheng, Hongkun Liu, Gengbiao Zhang, Weijia Li, Jiayan Zhuang, Yuelin Guo
Summary: This study used the Glutamate Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (GluCEST) imaging technique to analyze cranial glutamate quantitatively and discussed its effectiveness in identifying the pathogenesis of encephalopathy after CO poisoning. MRI scans were performed on two cohorts, and comparisons were made for GluCEST% in different regions of interest. The results showed that GluCEST% was significantly higher in the CO group compared to the control group, and there was a correlation between GluCEST% and cognitive function. The GluCEST technique can provide early detection of cerebral biochemical changes after acute CO poisoning, contributing to the understanding of this disease.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chathuri J. Kombala, Aikaterini Kotrotsou, F. William Schuler, Jorge de la Cerda, Jacqueline C. Ma, Shu Zhang, Mark D. Pagel
Summary: AcidoCEST MRI can measure the extracellular pH of the tumor microenvironment using a nanoscale CEST agent, reducing the need for high delivery concentrations. The polymer agent showed superiority over the monomer agent and iopamidol in terms of concentration requirement for acidoCEST MRI studies.
Review
Biophysics
Jiadi Xu, Julius Juhyun Chung, Tao Jin
Summary: Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is a promising technique for analyzing target proteins and metabolites noninvasively. Protein arginine residues, creatine (Cr), and phosphocreatine (PCr) are important targets in CEST imaging, but there are challenges in achieving specificity due to various factors.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Xiao Li, Sisi Huang, Pei Han, Zhengwei Zhou, Linda Azab, Meng Lu, Jian Li, Jing An, Yihan Cao, Zhengyu Jin, Debiao Li, Yining Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of CEST MRI in identifying cardiac involvement and evaluating disease burden in AL amyloidosis patients, providing insights into cellular changes between function and structure.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Reika Sawaya, Sohei Kuribayashi, Junpei Ueda, Shigeyoshi Saito
Summary: Inverse Z-spectrum analysis is a useful technique for creatine (Cr)-CEST imaging in mice, as it improves specificity and image contrast. It can be used to evaluate the extent of testicular dysfunction.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Yunus Msayib, George W. J. Harston, Kevin J. Ray, James R. Larkin, Brad A. Sutherland, Fintan Sheerin, Nicholas P. Blockley, Thomas W. Okell, Peter Jezzard, Andrew Baldwin, Nicola R. Sibson, James Kennedy, Michael A. Chappell
Summary: This study explored the contribution of NOEs in ischemic stroke using a 4-pool Bloch-McConnell model and compared it with an approximate 3-pool model. The results showed that the 4-pool model had a stronger ability to distinguish pathological tissue in stroke and exhibited different associations with tissue outcome compared to the 3-pool approximation.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biophysics
Yi Zhang, Tao Zu, Ruibin Liu, Jinyuan Zhou
Summary: This review summarizes the key acquisition and reconstruction methods for fast chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging. The developments of saturation schemes, readout patterns, ultrafast z-spectroscopy, and saturation-editing techniques in fast CEST imaging are described in the acquisition sequence section. The important advances of parallel imaging, compressed sensing, sparsity in the z-spectrum, and algorithms beyond the Fourier transform for speeding up CEST MRI are listed in the reconstruction method section.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Ognyan Kounchev, Hermann Render, Tsvetomir Tsachev
Summary: This paper introduces the classical theory of cubic interpolation splines, which includes an algorithm that requires only O(n) arithmetic operations. Additionally, the smoothing cubic splines can be computed using the Reinsch algorithm, which reduces computation to interpolation cubic splines and also operates with O(n) arithmetic operations. The paper also demonstrates how many characteristics of polynomial cubic splines extend to the larger class of L-splines, where L is a linear differential operator of order 4 with constant coefficients. Criteria are provided for ensuring the associated matrix R is strictly diagonally dominant, implying the existence of a fast interpolation algorithm. An example of two L-splines interpolating S&P500 data is provided.
JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Yin Wu, Phillip Zhe Sun
Summary: This study investigated radiofrequency amplitude-based ratiometric CEST pH imaging in acute stroke. The research found that the CEST@2 ppm ratio significantly decreased in the ischemic lesion and highly correlated with the MRAPT index.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Johannes Breitling, Andreas Korzowski, Neele Kempa, Philip S. Boyd, Daniel Paech, Heinz-Peter Schlemmer, Mark E. Ladd, Peter Bachert, Steffen Goerke
Summary: In this study, a simple method for motion correction in CEST-MRI data is proposed. The method utilizes weighted averaging of motion parameters from conventional rigid image registration to identify and mitigate misaligned images. The proposed method outperforms other motion-correction algorithms in terms of accuracy and robustness.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
J. Eills, E. Cavallari, R. Kircher, G. Di Matteo, C. Carrera, L. Dagys, M. H. Levitt, K. L. Ivanov, S. Aime, F. Reineri, K. Muennemann, D. Budker, G. Buntkowsky, S. Knecht
Summary: This study introduces a novel H-1 imaging method in which hyperpolarized spin order is released for imaging through a specific biochemical reaction, while suppressing background signals from water. It allows for hyperpolarized imaging without the need for low-abundance, low-sensitivity heteronuclei.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Flavio Vinicius Crizostomo Kock, Attila Forgacs, Nicol Guidolin, Rachele Stefania, Adrienn Vagner, Eliana Gianolio, Silvio Aime, Zsolt Baranyai
Summary: This study presents the synthesis and characterization of two novel Gd(AAZTA) derivatives functionalized with short n-alkyl acid functions, which exhibit enhanced properties for use as MRI contrast agents. The stability constants were slightly higher than the parent complex, potentially due to the larger electron donation of the acyl substituents. The complexes show smaller susceptibility to chemical exchange with endogenous ions, indicating improved stability and performance as contrast agents. Fast interconversion between structural isomers and the presence of two populations of water molecules in exchange were observed, suggesting a potential mechanism for the enhanced properties of these derivatives.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Biophysics
A. Dean Sherry, Daniela Delli Castelli, Silvio Aime
Summary: The concept of using paraCEST agents for molecular imaging of biological processes has been around for about 20 years. These agents can be designed to be sensitive to specific biological or physiological properties, and the resulting CEST signal provides a direct readout of these properties. However, the sensitivity of paraCEST agents in vivo is lower than expected, which limits their applications.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Silvio Aime, Zsolt Baranyai
Summary: Controlling proton exchange in aqueous solutions of paramagnetic Gd(III) complexes is crucial for designing MRI contrast agents with higher sensitivities. The exchange of mobile protons can be explained using acid-base theory, and has applications in the development of contrast agents and CEST agents.
INORGANICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maddalena Sguizzato, Petra Martini, Lorenza Marvelli, Walter Pula, Markus Drechsler, Martina Capozza, Enzo Terreno, Lucia Del Bianco, Federico Spizzo, Rita Cortesi, Alessandra Boschi
Summary: This study focuses on the potential of liposomal formulations loaded with a new synthesized paramagnetic Mn(II) chelates to design nanosized imaging probes with radioactive and magnetic properties. The negatively charged liposomes exhibited good stability, no cytotoxicity, and maintained the paramagnetic properties of the manganese complexes.
Article
Biophysics
Giuseppe Ferrauto, Enzo Terreno
Summary: The overall sensitivity of the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) technique has been one of its major limitations for future applications. To overcome this limitation, researchers have developed compartmentalized agents, which separate an aqueous inner core from the MRI-detected bulk pool using a semipermeable barrier/membrane. These vesicular systems act as carriers and probes, offering new application options for CEST and showing potential in theranostic research.
NMR IN BIOMEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Capozza, Rachele Stefania, Valentina Dinatale, Valeria Bitonto, Laura Conti, Cristina Grange, Renata Skovronova, Enzo Terreno
Summary: A PSMA-targeted NIRF dye was developed as an intraoperative tool for improving tumour margin delineation and cancer therapy. The dye exhibited high affinity and specificity towards PCa cells and accurately highlighted tumour margins. In addition, the dye had the capability of PDT to kill residual cancer cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Federica Foglietta, Manuela Macri, Patrizia Panzanelli, Andrea Francovich, Gianni Durando, Francesca Garello, Enzo Terreno, Loredana Serpe, Roberto Canaparo
Summary: Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease with high mortality, frequent relapses, and drug resistance. Sonodynamic therapy, which combines a sonosensitizer and low-intensity ultrasound, is a promising approach for cancer treatment. This research investigates the use of the chemotherapeutic drug Doxorubicin as a sonosensitizer to induce cell death in ovarian cancer cells and prevent recurrence. The results show that this sonodynamic therapy with Doxorubicin is effective and operates through a ROS-dependent mechanism and immune sensitization based on the activation of the ICD pathway.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Giulia Vassallo, Francesca Garello, Silvio Aime, Enzo Terreno, Daniela Delli Castelli
Summary: The development of the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast agents is limited by the sensitivity of the technique. This study improves the detectability threshold of CEST contrast by detecting a 31P signal from endogenous inorganic phosphate (Pifree) exchanged with an exogenous complex. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in detectability compared to conventional 1H CEST detection. This method has potential applications in biological studies and clinical settings.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fabio Carniato, Marco Ricci, Lorenzo Tei, Francesca Garello, Chiara Furlan, Enzo Terreno, Enrico Ravera, Giacomo Parigi, Claudio Luchinat, Mauro Botta
Summary: This article describes nanogels based on a chitosan matrix stabilized by a Mn-t-CDTA bisamide derivative. These nanogels are proposed as an alternative to less stable paramagnetic nanogels obtained by electrostatic interactions. The novel nanogels have improved relaxivity values, high stability, good extravasation and accumulation, and high T-1 contrast in tumors. These properties make them promising MRI probes for in vitro and in vivo preclinical applications.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Deyssy Patrucco, Juan Carlos Cutrin, Dario Livio Longo, Elena Botto, Li Cong, Silvio Aime, Daniela Delli Castelli
Summary: Breast cancer with acidic micro-environment can be treated by delivering alkaline buffers to the tumor region using sonosensitive liposomes. The increase of tumor extracellular pH induced by this approach effectively inhibits primary tumor growth, suppresses metastases' formation, and reduces tumor recurrence after surgery in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Simona Baroni, Monica Argenziano, Francesca La Cava, Marco Soster, Francesca Garello, David Lembo, Roberta Cavalli, Enzo Terreno
Summary: This paper presents a new nanoformulation for dual MRI/US in vivo monitoring of drug delivery/release. The nanosystem consists of a perfluoropentane core coated with phospholipids stabilized by glycol chitosan crosslinked with triphosphate ions, and is co-loaded with the prodrug prednisolone phosphate (PLP) and the structurally similar MRI agent Gd-DTPAMA-CHOL. In vitro release experiments demonstrate similar profiles for PLP and Gd-DTPAMA-CHOL, validating the MRI agent as an imaging reporter for drug release. Additionally, the nanobubbles can be detected by US imaging both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the temporal evolution of both MRI and US contrast can provide information on the delivery and release kinetics of the transported drug in a specific lesion.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Enza Di Gregorio, Elisabetta Rosa, Giuseppe Ferrauto, Carlo Diaferia, Enrico Gallo, Antonella Accardo, Enzo Terreno
Summary: Peptide-based hydrogels have been investigated as potential materials for biomedical applications. In this study, hydrogels loaded with iopamidol, an approved contrast agent, were developed. The hydrogels showed desirable properties such as injectability, retention of the contrast agent, and non-toxicity in vitro and in vivo. The CEST-MRI study demonstrated a high CEST contrast of iopamidol in the hydrogels. These findings suggest that the developed hydrogels have great potential as smart MRI detectable materials.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Enza Di Gregorio, Mariangela Boccalon, Chiara Furlan, Eliana Gianolio, Attila Benyei, Silvio Aime, Zsolt Baranyai, Giuseppe Ferrauto
Summary: This study investigates the hydrophobic interaction between HPTS and the gadolinium(iii)-complex of tetra-aza macrocyclic ligand HP-DO3A (Gd(HP-DO3A)) in vivo and in vitro. The results show that the interaction is not influenced by the protonation state of HPTS. The formation of binary and ternary adducts between HPTS and Gd(iii)-complexes is supported by UV spectra and X-ray solid-state structures. The strong hydrophobic interaction is utilized to detect the in vivo distribution of Gd(HP-DO3A) in tumor-bearing mice through fluorescence optical imaging.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2022)
