Initial evaluation of the use of USPIO cell labeling and noninvasive MR monitoring of human tissue-engineered vascular grafts in vivo.

This pilot study examines noninvasive MR monitoring of tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) in vivo using cells labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (hASMCs) were labeled with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles. The labeled hASMCs, along with human aortic endothelial cells, were incorporated into eight TEVGs and were then surgically implanted as aortic interposition grafts in a C.

Dynamic imaging of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes using a bimodal nanoparticulate contrast agent.

Background: Evaluation of lymphedema and lymph node metastasis in humans has relied primarily on invasive or radioactive modalities. While noninvasive technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offer the potential for true three-dimensional imaging of lymphatic structures, invasive modalities, such as optical fluorescence microscopy, provide higher resolution and clearer delineation of both lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels. Thus, contrast agents that image lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes by both fluorescence and MRI may further enhance our understanding of the structure and function of the lymphatic system.

In vivo MR spectroscopic imaging of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in healthy and cancerous breast tissues by selective multiple-quantum coherence transfer (Sel-MQC): a preliminary study.

The spatial distribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in healthy and cancerous human breast tissues was measured in vivo with a selective multiple-quantum coherence transfer (Sel-MQC) technique. This method selectively detected the olefinic methylene protons (-CH = CH-) of PUFA at 5.3 ppm that were coupled with allylic methylene protons (-CH(2)-CH(2)-CH=) of unsaturated acyl chain at 2.

Regional whole body fat quantification in mice.

Obesity has risen to epidemic levels in the United States and around the world. Global indices of obesity such as the body mass index (BMI) have been known to be inaccurate predictors of risk of diabetes, and it is commonly recognized that the distribution of fat in the body is a key measure. In this work, we describe the early development of image analysis methods to quantify regional body fat distribution in groups of both male and female wildtype mice using magnetic resonance images.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of tumor metabolic markers for cancer diagnosis, metabolic phenotyping, and characterization of tumor microenvironment.

Cancer cells display heterogeneous genetic characteristics, depending on the tumor dynamic microenvironment. Abnormal tumor vasculature and poor tissue oxygenation generate a fraction of hypoxic tumor cells that have selective advantages in metastasis and invasion and often resist chemo- and radiation therapies. The genetic alterations acquired by tumors modify their biochemical pathways, which results in abnormal tumor metabolism.