Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) awarded a $661,953 Project Grant on July 1, 2026, under the Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health program (CFDA 93.286) to the Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland. The four-year project (completion date June 30, 2030) develops aspirin as a novel, label-free contrast agent for Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging to detect and visualize inflammatory tissue regions. This biocompatible imaging innovation eliminates the need for heavy metal or other synthetic contrast labels, representing a technological advancement in non-invasive inflammation detection methodologies.

The funded research delivers three primary products: (1) an optimized radial sampling CEST MRI protocol for evaluating aspirin signal dynamics in mouse kidney tissue at various injectable concentrations, including toxicity assessment (Aim 1); (2) innovative Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging approaches for detecting aspirin metabolites and prostaglandins in brain, kidney, and liver tissue samples (Aim 2); and (3) comprehensive validation of the aspirin-enhanced in vivo CEST MRI and ex vivo MALDI imaging methodology across multiple mouse models of inflammation with mechanistic analysis of relationships between inflammatory markers, tumor microenvironment, and aspirin metabolism (Aim 3). Preliminary data demonstrates significant CEST MRI signal enhancement in inflamed brain tissue and successful metabolite detection via MALDI imaging.