PET/MRI contrast agents represent a new field of molecular imaging that provide an outstanding opportunity to employ simultaneous PET/MRI instrumentation for quantitative imaging. Over 90 responsive MRI contrast agents have been reported that change their contrast based on a biomarker and agent concentration, limiting their utility in vivo because a change in signal could arise from the presence of the biomarker and/or a change in the concentration of the agent. We propose to use PET to quantify the agent concentration, and a comparison of PET and MRI contrast can quantitatively evaluate the biomarker in a concentration-independent manner. Herein we describe the synthesis and characterization of 18F-radiolabeled responsive MRI contrast agents that are designed to measure pH and redox state using simultaneous PET/MRI for small animal studies.
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