MRI-based parameterization of interstitial lung disease with qualitative and quantitative characterization of components and mechanical properties of the diseased lung tissue.

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jürgen Biederer; Professor Dr. Peter M. Jakob; Professor Dr. Lothar Rudi Schad
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: from 2008 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 77514381

This research activity will be based on the successful collaboration of the applicants in the development of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for applications in the human lung (BI 1297/2-1, JA 827/8-1, Scha 546/14-1). In addition to morphologic imaging of lung structure, it is the aim of this follow-up project to explore the potential value of MRI for the quantitative analysis of lung tissue changes and their influence on mechanic properties. The clinical focus are diseases of the lung connective tissues (interstitial lung disease), which are either related to a fixed sustained lung over-inflation with loss of alveolar septa (emphysema) or a stiffening and shrinking of lung parenchyma (fibrosis). Both diseases severely affect the vital functions of the lung, i.e. its gas exchange capacity. Their etiology is frequently idiopathic (with unknown reason), related to inflammatory processes or inhaled noxes (smoking, occupational exposure) or a therapeutic side-effect (radiation therapy, toxic medication). Their frequency and their mortality define the high clinical relevance of this project. Since standard lung function tests only can capture the global damage of the lung function, the early disease stages remain hidden by distinct lung compensation mechanisms. Radiological techniques such as Computed Tomography (CT) are much more sensitive, but mainly unspecific. In order to more precisely estimate the kind and activity of the lung fibrosis, tissue samples for histological diagnosis and repeated CT scans to assess the course of disease are required. Thus, non-invasive, radiation free methods, which allow for regional assessment of reversible (edematous) or irreversible (fibrotic) changes of lung tissue at a single time point and for follow up during treatment would be of high clinical value. The aim of this project is therefore to develop and evaluate three new methods: Quantitative T1-MRI and lineshape-MRI in order to characterize the lung tissue composition (soft tissue, dense tissue/fibrosis) and to quantify regional changes of the mechanical-elastic lung properties via phase-contrast MRI.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants