Anne Schmieder1, Shelton Caruthers1, John Stacy Allen1, Todd Williams1, Elizabeth Wagner2, Samuel Wickline1, Gregory Lanza1
1Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO, United States; 2Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
Asthma related proliferating bronchial neovasculature contributes to a sustained decrement in pulmonary function. In this study, a rat model of bronchial vascular proliferation was used to demonstrate noninvasive, high resolution molecular imaging of lung angiogenesis with dual 1H/19F MRI of αvβ3-targeted nanoparticles using a commercial 3T scanner. A novel steady state, ultrashort echo time technique was employed with a 3D radial readout scheme. The successful imaging of lung angiogenesis with this technique demonstrates a clinically translatable approach to monitor temporal-spatial changes in airway vascularity and potentially to deliver and monitor antiangiogenic therapy in order to ameliorate the progression of moderate to severe asthma.