Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) imaging provides the opportunity for probing important metabolic pathways in vivo. However, clinical implementation of the CEST method for metabolic imaging requires overcoming several technical obstacles. To advance the clinical application of this technology, we propose to generate the CEST effects of labile protons that are polarized via J-couplings by neighboring aliphatic protons while the latter undergo radio frequency irradiation. We tested and proved this concept using desmosine, a unique, pyridinium-containing amino acid that is critical for lung physiology and pathology. Additional work will be concentrated on further systematic investigations and in vivo implementations.
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