Imaging extracellular acidification in tumors will likely lead to better characterization of tumor aggressiveness and treatment efficacy. Hyperpolarized (HP) [13C]bicarbonate magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can map pH in murine tumors, but images generally suffer from low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and coarse spatial resolution. Although sophisticated pulse sequences can boost SNR, pH accuracy can be compromised due to bidirectional [13C]bicarbonate <-> 13CO2 chemical exchange during imaging. We investigated several pulse sequences and excitation/refocusing schemes, and a modified 2D echo-planar imaging sequence with spectral-spatial excitation demonstrated the best combination of spatial resolution, pH accuracy, and potential for future clinical implementation.
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