Advanced Imaging Biomarkers
ProSciento and its core imaging laboratory partners deploy advanced tools to assess and quantify tissue-specific features of metabolism or metabolic diseases, such as body composition, liver and muscle fat content, or functional aspects, such as glucose uptake dynamics, glycogen storage, inflammatory activities and more.
Imaging Technologies:
- MRI and MRI-Estimated Proton Density Fat Fraction (MRI-PDFF) are methods to assess whole body, regional and organ-specific composition, such as liver fat content. They are particularly useful to characterize features of NAFLD and NASH.
- Diffusion-Weighted MRI (DW-MRI) is a method that can be utilized to investigate the micro architecture and functional aspects of tissues, for example, to arrive at conclusions of active inflammatory processes.
- Corrected T1 (cT1)-Weighted MRI is another method that can be utilized to identify and characterize inflammatory or fibrotic processes at an organ or tissue level.
- Contrast-Enhanced MRI (CE MRI) is typically used to detect and assess liver masses and lesions and can also be used to assess and visualize liver tissue function. Gadolinium-based chelated agents (GBCA) and non-GBCA, such as reticuloendothelial and hepatobiliary agents, can also be used to assess and visualize liver tissue function. The readout can potentially serve as a surrogate biomarker of active inflammatory or fibrotic processes.
- Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is a non-invasive technique to assess the biomechanical properties of tissues through images of sound wave propagation. The readout is used to quantify and categorize stages of liver stiffness and fibrosis.
- Dual-energy Absorptiometry (DEXA) is used to assess body composition, total body fat and breakdown of bone mineral density, fat tissue, and muscle by X-ray technology.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) or Combined PET and Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is an imaging technique used to quantify and visualize functional aspects of metabolism, such as the activity and regional distribution of brown adipose tissue. Isotope-labeled biological substances are metabolized as part of normal physiological processes. PET scanning is then used to quantify these metabolic processes.
To discuss how advanced imaging can be utilized for your customized clinical research program, contact us at bd@prosciento.com.
