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Paramagnetic lanthanide complexes as PARACEST agents for medical imaging.

Woods M, Woessner DE, Sherry AD

Macrocyclics, 2110 Research Row, Suite 425, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.

This tutorial review examines the fundamental aspects of a new class of contrast media for MRI based upon the chemical shift saturation transfer (CEST) mechanism. Several paramagnetic versions called PARACEST agents have shown utility as responsive agents for reporting physiological or metabolic information by MRI. It is shown that basic NMR exchange theory can be used to predict how parameters such as chemical shift, bound water lifetimes, and relaxation rates can be optimized to maximize the sensitivity of PARACEST agents.

Published 26 May 2006 in Chem Soc Rev, 35(6): 500-11.
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