Functional Molecular Imaging in the Brain

Abstract:
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with contrast agentssensitive to neural activity could have great impact in neuroscience bycombining noninvasive whole-brain coverage with molecular-levelspecificity for neuronal events. My laboratory is developing molecularfMRI approaches based on molecular sensors we have designed to detectintra- and extracellular signalling events in the nervous system.  Oursensors are built on a variety of chemical platforms, ranging fromsmall molecules to nanoparticles.  Protein-based contrast agents are ofparticular interest to us because of the possibility of gene-basedbrain delivery strategies and the availability of powerful proteinengineering techniques.  Here we describe molecular engineering ofseveral MRI sensors for neural activity, as well as the first effortsin our laboratory to perform functional neuroimaging with molecularspecificity in living brains.