Vikram D. Kodibagkar^1
1School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, AZ, United States

This lecture will review the fundamental properties and applications of relaxation based contrast agents. We will begin by understanding the physics of relaxation and factors influencing it. With a view towards in vivo use, we will discuss the relevant physicochemical and MR properties that influence the success of relaxation based agents for biomedical applications.  We will also discuss factors that determine the pharmacokinetics of these agents and the opportunity for targeting tissue microenvironment. Finally we will review some new directions in the field outline future prospects.

Matthew John Allen^1
1Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States

Responsive contrast agents are a promising class of molecules for visualizing disease-relevant molecular events. These contrast agents undergo chemical changes in response to stimuli including enzyme activity, metal ion transport, and changes in pH and oxygen levels. The chemical changes lead to changes in contrast enhancement that can be detected with MRI. This talk will cover the basic principles behind how this class of contrast agents function and will highlight some published examples of response.

Xavier Golay^1
1UCL Institute of Neurology

This teaching presentation will attempt to demonstrate the power and existing present limitations of Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST)-based MRI and its most prominent applications.

Fernando Boada^1
1New York Univeristy

This presentation discusses the basic principles for the implementation and application of multi-nuclear MRI, with an emphasis on sodium MRI, in the study of disease in humans.

Leif Schröder

MRI relies on detecting signals in the radiofrequency range that are related to very small energy transitions of the spin ensemble. While this is a blessing with regard to the harmless character of the radiation, it imposes a serious problem in terms of the low sensitivity caused by almost vanishing spin polarization at ambient temperatures. Increasing the sensitivity through artificial enhancement of the net magnetization relies on so-called hyperpolarized agents for NMR and MRI. Hyperpolarization is a powerful technique that has enabled many varied applications for molecular and cellular imaging. This tutorial will summarize the methods of hyperpolarization, probe design and optimized signal encoding.

Craig R. Malloy^1
1University of Texas Southwestern

John Gore

Various contrast mechanisms are available using MRI to emphasize specific molecular and cellular features of tissues that have applications in research and clinical management. These intrinsic mechanisms do not require exogenous agents and can be obtained on the same standard equipment as used for routine imaging.

Bruce Damon^1
1Vanderbilt University

Combining metabolic imaging methods with spectroscopy methods allows for the appreciation of spatial patterns of physiology and metabolism and the complexities of normal and pathological physiology.  A variety of approaches, including traditional spectroscopy, metabolic mapping, and indirect detection of metabolites, are available.

Erik M Shapiro^1
1Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States

This educational session will describe how MRI can be used to detect cells in preclinical models and clinical scenarios. Contrast agent selection and use will be covered, as will MRI acquisition and data analysis methods.

Patrick McConville^1
1Molecular Imaging, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI, United States

The rapid shift to targeted and personalized therapies by the pharmaceutical industry has led to increasing need for specific and predictive biomarkers of therapeutic response [1].  Imaging methods including MRI provide many approaches to the use of biomarkers that are importantly non-invasive, translational and spatially resolved. Many MRI based molecular biomarkers have been, and continue to be used by the pharmaceutical industry [2-5], though use and related success has been modest so far.  A number of new MR Molecular Imaging applications many associated with imaging agents [6], highlight new promise for clinical biomarkers that can be used reliably for state of the art molecular targets and therapeutic paradigms currently in discovery and soon to be in clinical trials.  This course presentation will outline the way the pharmaceutical industry integrates, uses and needs biomarkers and how MRI biomarkers and new molecular imaging assays fit this need. Reference to prevalence of MRI biomarkers in pharmaceutical literature and clinical trials will be provided.  A number of the latest and most promising areas for MRI pharmaceutical applications will be described.

Zheng-Rong Lu^1
1Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States

This presentation will discuss  the advantages and clinical applications of MR molecular imaging, the path and challenges for clinical translation, factors affecting the clinical translation, design considerations of clinically translatable MR molecular imaging technology, examples and recent progress of promising MR molecular imaging technologies.