Projektdaten

---

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) Imaging as localized in vivo ‘omics’ technology

---

’Omics’ technologies have many applications in biology and medicine providing detailed information about individual’s health and disease. They are of special interest to investigate infections and to distinguish them from sterile inflammation, as corresponding body samples contain the sum of all ‘omics’ changes which are caused by both the host as well as by the pathogens. At present ‘omics’ technologies relay on the analysis of body fluids and ex vivo tissue samples. In contrast, non-invasive imaging techniques such as MRI provide detailed anatomical, morphological and molecular information of diseased tissue, but do not provide any information about molecular profiles specific for inflammation or pathogens, which are desperately needed to decide on antibiotic treatments and surgical interventions. We are convinced that current ex vivo ‘omics’ approaches are the most powerful methods to diagnose difficult-to-recognize diseases. However, we claim that non-invasive acquisition of local metabolic and proteomic information in vivo is essential to incorporate the entire ‘omics’ network into clinical practice as diagnostic, monitoring and decision-making tool. The aim of this proposal is to develop an unique localized in vivo ‘omics’ approach by combining existing MRI technology with a non-orthodox cutting edge concept of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST).