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Unlabeled aspirin as activatable CEST MRI agent for imaging of inflammation

Award Number: R01EB037743
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2030

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Unlabeled aspirin as activatable CEST MRI agent for imaging of inflammation - Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is currently emerging as promising alternative, allowing use of fully biocompatible contrast agents without any heavy metal or other labels. We will develop the well-known precursor of salicylic acid (SA), acetyl salicylic acid, better known as aspirin, as a novel activatable contrast agent for detecting inflammation with CEST MRI. Our preliminary data show that tail-vein injection into a mouse model of neuroinflammation resulted in significantly enhanced signal in inflamed mouse brain tissue regions. Using innovative matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) approaches, we showed that SA and other aspirin metabolites are distributed through kidney, liver and tumor sections of the aspirin injected mice, and not in tissue sections of untreated controls. Several prostaglandins were detected in tissue sections from untreated control mice, and not in tissues from aspirin-injected mice, providing strong evidence that prostaglandin synthesis was effectively inhibited in the aspirin-injected mice. In aim 1, we will optimize a novel radial sampling CEST MRI protocol to evaluate CEST MRI signal dynamics in mouse kidneys following tail-vein injection of various concentrations of injectable aspirin, which includes a toxicity study. In aim 2, we will develop innovative MALDI imaging approaches for detecting aspirin metabolites and prostaglandins in thin tissue sections of brain, kidney and liver in mouse models of inflammation. In aim 3, we will broadly test the applicability of dynamic aspirin enhanced in vivo SA CEST MRI and ex vivo MALDI imaging in various mouse models of inflammation. We will comparatively perform mechanistic studies into the relationships between inflammation markers, tumor microenvironment, blood vessels, cyclooxygenase-1/-2, aspirin-hydrolyzing carboxylesterases, aspirin metabolites, and prostaglandins. Aspirin enhanced SA CEST MRI holds promise for future use in monitoring tissue inflammation. MALDI imaging for measuring the spatial distribution of aspirin metabolites and prostaglandins is broadly applicable for tissue imaging of inflammation, cancer, infection, and aspirin treatment effects. These new MALDI imaging methods are compatible with histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for use in pathology.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $661,953 )
2026	2026	HUGO W. MOSER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KENNEDY KRIEGER, INC.	707 N BROADWAY	BALTIMORE	MD	21205	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	6/23/2026	NEW	$661,953
														Subtotal = $661,953

Grand Total All Awards = $661,953

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Unlabeled aspirin as activatable CEST MRI agent for imaging of inflammation

Award Number: R01EB037743

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2030

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