University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed an innovative imaging method known as AROSE (Adjustment of the Rotation and Saturation Effects) to enhance the specificity and clinical utility of Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI. CEST MRI is a powerful imaging technique that detects labile protons from various biomolecules, such as glucose, amino acids, glycogen, creatine, and phosphocreatine, making it a valuable tool for diagnosing a range of diseases.
Description
Conventional CEST MRI suffers from low specificity due to other signal contaminations. AROSE introduces a novel method to overcome this challenge by carefully adjusting the rotation and saturation effects within the CEST MRI pulse sequence. This technique involves the use of multiple scans that are similar in their contamination profiles from non-specific effects but differ significantly in their response to the target biomolecule of interest. By combining these scans, AROSE effectively filters out non-specific signals while preserving the sensitivity to the desired biomolecule.
Applications
- Disease Diagnosis
- Biomedical Research
- Regenerative Medicine
Advantages
AROSE offers several key advantages by combining enhanced specificity and sensitivity with clinically viable scanning times, overcoming significant limitations of current CEST MRI methods. This technique effectively reduces signal contamination from non-specific effects while preserving the sensitivity of the biomolecule of interest, resulting in more accurate and reliable imaging. Furthermore, AROSE allows for shorter scan times, making it more practical for routine clinical use. Its broad applicability across multiple disease areas, including neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and oncology, positions AROSE as a versatile and powerful tool for both diagnostic imaging and biomedical research.
Invention Readiness
AROSE has shown significant potential through in vivo studies using animal models for conditions like stroke. The technology can improve the specificity and sensitivity of CEST MRI imaging, allowing for more accurate detection of biomarkers such as mobile proteins, metabolites, and pH changes in tissues. AROSE can enable precise imaging of glycogen in the liver, and phosphocreatine and creatine in muscles. These studies involved optimized adjustments in MRI pulse sequences, filtering out non-specific signals while maintaining high sensitivity. With these promising results, AROSE is now being optimized for broader MRI platforms and prepared for clinical trials and commercialization.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023022778A1
