In Vivo CEST-Based Molecular Imaging Using RGD-LipoCEST in U87 Mice Brain Tumor

Julien Flament¹, Benjamin Marty¹, Cline Giraudeau¹, Sbastien Mriaux¹, Julien Valette¹, Christelle Mdina², Caroline Robic², Marc Port², Franck Lethimonnier¹, Gilles Bloch¹, Denis Le Bihan¹, Fawzi Boumezbeur¹

LipoCEST are a new class of contrast agents for CEST-MRI which provide a tremendous amplification factor and can be easily functionalized by grafting specific peptide on their outer membrane in order to target pathology specific biomarker. We present our promising preliminary result to image αvβ3, integrin expressed during tumor growth, with CEST-based MRI using RGD-LipoCEST contrast agents. It constitutes to our knowledge the first attempt towards brain tumor detection using LipoCEST contrast agents in vivo.