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Characterization of image heterogeneity using 2D Minkowski functionals increases the sensitivity of detection of a targeted MRI contrast agent
Author(s) -
Canuto Holly C.,
McLachlan Charles,
Kettunen Mikko I.,
Velic Marko,
Krishnan Anant S.,
Neves Andre' A,
de Backer Maaike,
Hu DE.,
Hobson Michael P.,
Brindle Kevin M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.21946
Subject(s) - contrast (vision) , sensitivity (control systems) , signal (programming language) , in vivo , programmed cell death , minkowski space , nuclear magnetic resonance , chemistry , artificial intelligence , computer science , physics , apoptosis , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , quantum mechanics , electronic engineering , engineering , programming language , biochemistry
A targeted Gd 3+ ‐based contrast agent has been developed that detects tumor cell death by binding to the phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on the plasma membrane of dying cells. Although this agent has been used to detect tumor cell death in vivo, the differences in signal intensity between treated and untreated tumors was relatively small. As cell death is often spatially heterogeneous within tumors, we investigated whether an image analysis technique that parameterizes heterogeneity could be used to increase the sensitivity of detection of this targeted contrast agent. Two‐dimensional (2D) Minkowski functionals (MFs) provided an automated and reliable method for parameterization of image heterogeneity, which does not require prior assumptions about the number of regions or features in the image, and were shown to increase the sensitivity of detection of the contrast agent as compared to simple signal intensity analysis. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.