MRI to measure how blood flows through the lungs
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonaryperfusion
Using MRI and a contrast agent to measure lung blood flow and tiny blood-vessel changes to help people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11187237 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have IPF, this project will develop a way to turn MRI contrast images into absolute measures of lung perfusion and microvascular leakiness using pharmacokinetic modeling. The team will validate the model in large animal models and directly compare MRI results with tissue analyses of perfusion, vascular permeability, and scarring. They will use dynamic contrast‑enhanced MRI with a standard gadolinium agent (Gd-DOTA) to capture how contrast moves through the lung. The goal is to create a validated imaging method that could later be used in people to track disease and aid treatment development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or other fibrotic lung diseases who need better ways to measure disease activity would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People without lung disease or those who cannot undergo MRI or receive gadolinium contrast (for example due to severe kidney problems or incompatible implants) would likely not benefit from this method.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a noninvasive MRI tool to measure lung blood flow and vessel leakiness, improving how IPF is monitored and helping drug development.
How similar studies have performed: Dynamic contrast‑enhanced MRI has previously detected perfusion changes and the team has shown model‑free detection is sensitive, but absolute pharmacokinetic quantification in the lung is still relatively new and is being validated.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhou, Iris Yuwen — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Zhou, Iris Yuwen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.