Magnetization Transfer Imaging of the Lung at 0.55T

Motivation: Very little is known about magnetization transfer (MT) effects of the lung and MT contrast might be a biomarker for pulmonary fibrosis and other lung tissue abnormalities. Goal(s): To develop a clinically applicable method for detecting in-vivo MT contrast in the lung. Approach: A self-gated 3D half-radial balanced steady state free precession sequence (bSTAR) in combination with RF pulse prolongation was used to explore MT effects in the lung at 0.55T. Results: In volunteers, average whole lung MTR values of 32.4 ± 3.5 pu were observed and showed good reproducibility. Impact: This work shows that high-resolution in-vivo magnetization transfer imaging of the lung is feasible and reproducible at 0.55T in free-breathing and within clinically relevant scan times, offering excellent prospects to detect lung tissue abnormalities such as fibrosis.