Abstract #3139

Potential Application of Hyaluronic Acid in MR Imaging

Wenlian Zhu¹, Dmitri Artemov¹

¹Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

CD44 is a recognized target in caner therapy. Here we attempted to use hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan or HA), a major CD44 ligand as a probe to access the CD44 status of breast cancer cells. We also investigated the possibility of using HA gadolinium conjugate as a blood pool MR contrast agent. Preliminary results demonstrated the potential of HA as a CD44 targeting moiety as well as a macromolecular contrast agent carrier.