MR Contrast Agents and Molecular Imaging.
- Author:
Woo Kyung MOON
1
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. moonwk@radcom.snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Molecular imaging;
Magnetic resonance imaging;
Contrast agents
- MeSH:
Contrast Media*;
Gadolinium;
Iron;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Molecular Imaging*;
Patient Care
- From:Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
2004;38(2):205-208
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
The two major classes of magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents are paramagnetic contrast agents, usually based on chelates of gadolinium generating T1 positive signal enhancement, and super-paramagnetic contrast agents that use mono- or polycrystalline iron oxide to generate strong T2 negative contrast in MR images. These paramagnetic or super-paramagnetic complexes are used to develop new contrast agents that can target the specific molecular marker of the cells or can be activated to report on the physiological status or metabolic activity of biological systems. In molecular imaging science, MR imaging has emerged as a leading technique because it provides high-resolution three-dimension maps of the living subject. The future of molecular MR imaging is promising as advancements in hardware, contrast agents, and image acquisition methods coalesce to bring high resolution in vivo imaging to the biochemical sciences and to patient care.
