A new method for investigating osteoarthritis using Fast Field-Cycling nuclear magnetic resonance

• Published in: Physica medica Vol. 88; pp. 142 - 147
• Main Authors: Broche, Lionel M., James Ross, P., Kennedy, Brett W.C., MacEachern, Campbell F., Lurie, David J., Ashcroft, George P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali
• Subjects: Fast field-cycling NMR; Human hyaline cartilage; Osteoarthritis; Protein interactions; Quadrupolar peaks; T1 dispersion; Human hyaline cartilage; T1 dispersion; Quadrupolar peaks; Fast field-cycling NMR; Osteoarthritis; Protein interactions
• ISSN: 1120-1797; 1724-191X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2021.05.034

•Fast Field-Cycling can assess proteoglycan content in vitro.•The T1 vs field strength profile of cartilage varies in osteoarthritis.•These biomarkers can potentially be accessed in vivo using Field-Cycling Imaging.•Potential application in clinical trials of new treatments for early osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis in synovial joints remains a major cause of long-term disability worldwide, with symptoms produced by the progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage. The earliest cartilage changes are thought to be alteration in its main protein components, namely proteoglycan and collagen. Loss of proteoglycans bound in the collagen matrix which maintain hydration and stiffness of the structure is followed by collagen degradation and loss. The development of new treatments for early osteoarthritis is limited by the lack of accurate biomarkers to assess the loss of proteoglycan. One potential biomarker is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We present the results of a novel MRI methodology, Fast Field-Cycling (FFC), to assess changes in critical proteins by demonstrating clear quantifiable differences in signal from normal and osteoarthritic human cartilage for in vitro measurements. We further tested proteoglycan extracted cartilage and the key components individually. Three clear signals were identified, two of which are related predominantly to the collagen component of cartilage and the third, a unique very short-lived signal, is directly related to proteoglycan content; we have not seen this in any other tissue type. In addition, we present the first volunteer human scan from our whole-body FFC scanner where articular cartilage measurements are in keeping with those we have shown in tissue samples. This new clinical imaging modality offers the prospect of non-invasive monitoring of human cartilage in vivo and hence the assessment of potential treatments for osteoarthritis. Keywords: Fast Field-Cycling NMR; human hyaline cartilage; Osteoarthritis; T1 dispersion; quadrupolar peaks; protein interactions