# Magnetic Resonance (MR) Fingerprinting for Quantification of Pancreatic Tumor Microvasculature

> **NIH NIH R01** · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $346,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The overarching goal of this project is to develop, translate, and apply magnetic resonance fingerprinting
(MRF), a novel, quantitatively robust magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, for steady-state imaging of
pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microvasculature using magnetic nanoparticles (MNP). MRF is a
novel pattern matching based imaging method, which allows for simultaneous quantitative mapping of multiple
parameters in a much shorter time than conventional imaging methods. Our experience in preclinical murine
models of PDAC has revealed that MR imaging of ferumoxytol (an FDA-approved MNP) enables quantitative
measurement of tumor microvasculature (e.g., vascular volume fraction (VVF), vessel size imaging (VSI) and
vessel density index (VDI)). These measurements are all derived from changes in the quantitative MRI derived
relaxation parameters, T2 and T2*. More importantly, we have shown that changes in these microvascular
parameters can be a surrogate to therapeutic response following therapeutic manipulation of the tumor
microenvironment through collagen disruption (e.g., angiotensin receptor blockade). Currently, MRF has not
been optimized for abdominal imaging, nor is there a solution for T2* quantification. Our goal is to develop,
translate, and apply MRF for improved and co-localized quantification of T2 and T2* in the human pancreas,
prior to and following administration of MNP. The T2 and T2* values will then be used to quantify PDAC
microvascularity and these results will be compared to histology. In order to complete this task, we have
formed a multi-disciplinary team that includes expertise in MRI, quantitative imaging, surgical oncology,
pathology, cancer biology, statistics, and pancreatic cancer. The team will conduct the following aims: 1)
develop and optimize MR fingerprinting sequence for T1, T2 and T2* quantification in the pancreas; 2) validate
T1, T2 and T2* MRF sequence in the pancreas of healthy volunteers; and 3) apply MRF T1, T2 and T2*
sequences in patients with PDAC and correlate with pathology. An unmet need for imaging with high spatial
resolution microvessel parameters following MNP (most notably, VSI) in pancreatic cancer is a technique that
allows for simultaneous measures of T2 and T2*. We hypothesize that MRF, which is a quantitatively robust
novel MR methodology, will be the most robust means of calculating T2 and T2* in the human pancreas
following MNP, but secondary to its spiral technique, will provide these measures with a free breathing, highly
reproducible and high image quality examination.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10075263
- **Project number:** 5R01DK117459-03
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexander Savio Ramos Guimaraes
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $346,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10075263

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10075263, Magnetic Resonance (MR) Fingerprinting for Quantification of Pancreatic Tumor Microvasculature (5R01DK117459-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10075263. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*