Probe Development: Biophysics and Validation

Klaas Nicolay ¹

The first part of this presentation deals with the biophysical concepts underlying the detection of the different classes of MRI contrast agents that are being explored for molecular and cellular imaging. Most traditional MRI contrast materials are based on rare earth metal ions, notably Gd3+, and nanoparticles of iron oxides, which are detected with T1- and T2/T2*-weighted MRI, respectively. In recent years, the utility of Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer agents and F-19 containing formulations are also explored. The second portion of the talk focuses on in vitro and in vivo approaches to validate MRI contrast materials for the detection of disease biomarkers.