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Chemistry of MRI Contrast Agents: Current Challenges and New Frontiers

Year: 2018
Type: review
Abstract: Tens of millions of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams are performed annually around the world. The contrast agents, which improve diagnostic accuracy, are almost exclusively small, hydrophilic gadolinium(III) based chelates. In recent years concerns have arisen surrounding the long-term safety of these compounds, and this has spurred research into alternatives. There has also been a push to develop new molecularly targeted contrast agents or agents that can sense pathological changes in the local environment. This comprehensive review describes the state of the art of clinically approved contrast agents, their mechanism of action, and factors influencing their safety. From there we describe different mechanisms of generating MR image contrast such as relaxation, chemical exchange saturation transfer, and direct detection and the types of molecules that are effective for these purposes. Next we describe efforts to make safer contrast agents either by increasing relaxivity, increasing resistance to metal ion release, or by moving to gadolinium(III)-free alternatives. Finally we survey approaches to make contrast agents more specific for pathology either by direct biochemical targeting or by the design of responsive or activatable contrast agents.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00363
Language: English
Open Access status: green
Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Awards: Molecular Imaging of Renal Fibrogenesis, A Manganese Alternative to Gadolinium for MRI, Characterizing the Cardiac Microenvironment with MRI, Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: Rupture-Risk Assessment by Non-Invasive Molecular Imaging, Boston Biomedical Innovation Center, G6406025002, Dual PET-MR Probes for Quantitative, Noninvasive High Resolution pH Mappig, Molecular fluorescence lifetime sensor of pro-inflammatory signaling in diabetes, Stable, High Relaxivity MRI Contrast Agents, Funktionelle MRT als bildgebendes Verfahren: Design und Synthese von DOTAbasierten Gd Kontrastmitteln für die Nachverfolgung von Neurotransmittern im Gehirn, Activatable MR Imaging Probes, MR Signal Amplification for Receptor Imaging
OpenAlex ID: W2896682297
FWCI: 5.794
Cites: 749
Cited by: 1,660
Related to: 10