title: Advances in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents for Biomarker Detection.
abstract: Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents have provided new capabilities for biomarker detection through molecular imaging. MRI contrast agents based on the T2 exchange mechanism have more recently expanded the armamentarium of agents for molecular imaging. Compared with T1 and T2* agents, T2 exchange agents have a slower chemical exchange rate, which improves the ability to design these MRI contrast agents with greater specificity for detecting the intended biomarker. MRI contrast agents that are detected through chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) have even slower chemical exchange rates. Another emerging class of MRI contrast agents uses hyperpolarized (13)C to detect the agent with outstanding sensitivity. These hyperpolarized (13)C agents can be used to track metabolism and monitor characteristics of the tissue microenvironment. Together, these various MRI contrast agents provide excellent opportunities to develop molecular imaging for biomarker detection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724; email: sinharay@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Sanhita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinharay
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724; email: sinharay@email.arizona.edu.|Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724; email: mpagel@u.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Pagel
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D057054:Molecular Imaging
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: MRI contrast agents; T1; T2 exchange; T2*; chemical exchange saturation transfer; hyperpolarized 13C