Accelerating CEST-MRI for 3D renal imaging

Motivation: CEST-MRI is gaining recognition as a valuable tool for characterization of tumors and other ailments. However, its application in body imaging is still relatively limited. Specifically, applications to renal imaging are hampered by fat artifacts, motion, and limited coverage. Goal(s): The goal of our work is to achieve reliable renal CEST MRI. Approach: We are developing and compare acceleration of 3D GRE multi-point Dixon methods, to work in conjunction with timed breathing. The acquisition acceleration strategies include Compressed Sensing (CS) and CS with CASPR k-space sampling pattern. Results: The developments allow expansion of the previous single-slice CEST MRI to a 3D whole-kidney coverage. Impact: CEST-MRI for renal assessment will provide valuable information on kidney health and function, adding to existing multiparameteric MRI protocols, to serve as a molecular-level assessment of diseases, such as differentiation of renal cancers and acute renal failure.