A Contrasting Quandary: Optimizing the Signal Strengths of MRI Contrast Agents via Oligonucleotide Bridging

Overview

Objectives/Goals Increasing the accuracy and the range of specificity of MRI could enhance site-specific imaging and treatment. The most advantageous way to enhance site-specific imaging would be to create a magnetically decoupled T1 and T2 dual mode contrast agent. The difficulty associated with creating a dual mode contrast agent is that in the case of their direct contact, the T1 signal is quenched by the T2 signal. Methods/Materials In order to create a magnetically decoupled system, the distance at which gadolinium (T1) is not affected by dysprosium (T2) needs to be known. This will be achieved through oligonucleotide bridging. The two contrast agents will be bound to the opposite ends of a master strand and complementary strand respectively. At different lengths the signal strength of the T1 contrast agent will be measured. Results At this point in the experiment, concentrations of the samples are successfully binding into the complex predicted. This experiment will continue to progress in the future. As of now, samples which read successful on the MALDI Mass Spectrometer will be attempted to be bound to gadolinium. Then, the other complementary strands will follow, only bound to the dysprosium. Conclusions/Discussion What we expect to occur is as signal from the gadolinium will be quenched by dysprosium at its closest proximity, then as the ascending distance between the two contrast agents increases, the signal from the gadolinium will increase linearly with the expanding distance

Competition history

• CSEF 2011 Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology · Entry S0523

Resources

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