Experimental Protocols for MRI Mapping of Renal T₁

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Nephrology
• Biomarker Development

Background:

• Water proton longitudinal relaxation time (T1) is a key magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameter in nephrology.
• Standardization of renal MRI biomarkers is crucial for research reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide three standardized, step-by-step T1-mapping protocols for diverse nephrology research applications.
• To improve the reliability and comparability of T1-based renal MRI studies.

Main Methods:

• Development of a single-slice 2D saturation recovery protocol for global kidney pathology.
• Implementation of an optimized inversion recovery imaging protocol for specific kidney diseases.
• Adaptation of a T1-mapping protocol for small animal kidney imaging on a clinical MRI scanner.

Main Results:

• Validated T1-mapping protocols suitable for different scales of nephrology research.
• Demonstrated applicability from global pathology to specific disease states and small animal models.
• Established protocols contribute to the COST Action PARENCHIMA initiative for standardized renal MRI.

Conclusions:

• The presented T1-mapping protocols offer versatile and reproducible methods for nephrology research.
• Standardized protocols facilitate improved understanding and diagnosis of kidney diseases using MRI.
• These methods support the advancement of renal MRI biomarkers and clinical applications.