Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Neuroinflammation

Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful tool in preclinical research of diseases with associated neuroinflammation, as it allows high-resolution imaging without harmful ionizing radiation. The development of targetable iron oxide contrast agents, such as microparticles of iron oxide (MPIO), has greatly enhanced molecular MRI for superior detection of target molecules. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are upregulated early in neuroinflammation on the luminal side of activated endothelial cells within the blood-brain barrier, making them a highly accessible target. Targeting MPIO with CAM antibodies has improved the early detection of neuropathologies in preclinical models, as well as providing further insight into disease progression and mechanisms. This chapter highlights the uses of molecular MRI, specifically CAM-targeted MPIO, for investigating multiple sclerosis, stroke, epilepsy, and brain cancer and how the advances made in these preclinical models have the potential to be transferred to other neuropathologies and tissues.