Comparison of Three MRI Molecular Imaging Modalities: Application to Angiogenesis Imaging in a Brain Tumor Mouse Model

Cline Giraudeau¹, Benjamin Marty¹, Julien Flament¹, Franoise Geffroy¹, Christelle Mdina², Philippe Robert², Caroline Robic², Marc Port², Denis Le Bihan¹,

In the present work, three different contrast agents (CA) are evaluated: Gd-based emulsion, LipoCEST and fluorine emulsion. A comparison of the three modalities sensitivity and specificity is performed on a mouse model of brain tumor using CA grafted with RGD peptides to specifically target α _ν β ₃ integrins over-expressed in angiogenic vessels. CA are detected with a sub-nanomolar sensitivity by the three modalities. A higher contrast is systematically observed for RGD contrast agents inside the tumor. Each modality provides additional information, promising for multimodal investigation of brain diseases.