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Abstract

Objective MRI has recently been introduced as a promising method of monitoring the transplanted pancreatic islets labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO). However, the traditional T2-weighted approach frequently yields ambiguous results because of the negative contrast of the SPIO particles on the background of other body components. This obstacle could be overcome with the use of a novel method known as echo-dephased steady state free precession (SSFP), generating positive contrast in the presence of paramagnetic material. Methods In phantoms, we achieved exact localisation and clear positive contrast visualisation of human SPIO labelled islets. Using the proposed method we demonstrated the ability to detect even a single pancreatic islet against a homogeneous background. Results In vivo experiments in rats confirmed reliable and accurate localisation of transplanted SPIO labelled islets. Conclusion The echo-dephased SSFP technique could successfully visualise SPIO-labelled human and rat pancreatic islets yielding a positive contrast.