ABSTRACT
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) is a novel Magnetic resonance molecular imaging contrast first denominated by Ward and Balaban in 2000. Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a specific type of endogenous CEST imaging technique proposed by Zhou et al. An APT imaging pulse sequence consists of a saturation pulse and an image acquisition component. The underlying assumption regarding the APT imaging of tumors is that there is a close relationship between the proliferative activity of the tumor and mobile protein synthesis. The APT imaging of extracranial regions can be very challenging due to magnetic field inhomogeneity, movement caused by respiration and the heartbeat, and contamination from fat signals. Despite previous reports showing the clinical value of APT imaging in the management of brain tumors, the sources of signal contributors in APT imaging is only partially understood. A number of studies have shown the feasibility and potential of CEST imaging as a tool for preclinical and clinical investigations.
