Craig K. Jones1,
2, Domenico Zac3, Jun Hua1, 2,
Jinyuan Zhou1, 2, Peter C.M. van Zijl1,
2, Jay J. Pillai4
1Department
of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 2FM Kirby Center, Kennedy
Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; 3Center for Mind
Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, Italy; 4Division
of Neuroradiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore,
MD, United States
Amide proton transfer (APT) CEST has been used to successfully detect tumors and the effect of radiation necrosis. However, the mechanism of contrast is still somewhat inconclusive. When using low power RF pulses that slowly saturate protons with minimal interference of conventional semi-solid based MT contrast (MTC), saturation-transfer signals are revealed upfield from water in addition to the usual downfield CEST/APT signals. These effects have been attributed to saturation relayed by nuclear overhauser enhancements (NOE) in mobile macromolecules. Here we mapped the amide proton and NOE transfer effects in an alternative effort to study protein-based signals in an infiltrating tumor.