Development of in-vivo 19F Clinical MR imaging Using a Novel 19F/1H Coil in Combination with an Intravenous Perfluorocarbon (ABL-101)

Inflammation is part of the body's defence system against a wide range of harmful stimuli. Inflammation also plays an important role in human diseases, including stroke, Alzheimer's, hardening of arteries, arthritis, and cancer. The ability to image inflammation inside the human body would provide an improved understanding of this process and provide new opportunities for diagnosing disease and guiding treatment. ABL-101 is a fluorinated oxygen carrier which is being investigated for treatment of stroke. It is made up of a large number of fluorine atoms that can be visualised in MRI using a detector that is tuned to fluorine (19F MRI). Once injected, cells that are also part of the inflammatory response (macrophages) take up ABL-101. ABL-101 could therefore be an imaging agent for inflammation. 19F MRI uses a specially developed radiofrequency coil and some specialised programming that we wish to assess as a vital step to developing clinical uses.