Kortje Zoe A, Bach Horacio
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jun 12;26(12):5650. doi: 10.3390/ijms26125650.
Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is a novel technique that allows for the specific imaging of certain molecules that contain exchangeable protons. Neuroimaging is a major contributor to diagnosing and monitoring infections of the central nervous system (CNS). This review focuses on summarizing the current literature surrounding the use of CEST MRI imaging in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating CNS infections. BacCEST is a new technique to detect bacterial infection in organs at profound levels. This technique allows for the specific pathogen causing the infection to be understood, allowing for tailored antibiotic therapies. The bacCEST signal is also directly proportional to the number of bacterial cells; this means it can be used over periods to track response to treatment via cell numbers. The results show that most of the research in this area has focused on infections of the brain parenchyma (e.g., encephalitis) and that most studies investigate the use of CEST in animal models, with a minority exploring the application of CEST to human participants. The common neuroinfectious disease presentations relevant to clinical medicine are also briefly described, as well as the traditional and modern imaging techniques used to visualize them.
化学交换饱和转移（CEST）磁共振成像（MRI）是一种新技术，可对含有可交换质子的特定分子进行特异性成像。神经影像学是诊断和监测中枢神经系统（CNS）感染的主要手段。本综述重点总结了围绕CEST MRI成像在中枢神经系统感染的诊断、监测和治疗中的应用的当前文献。细菌CEST是一种在深层器官中检测细菌感染的新技术。该技术能够明确引起感染的特定病原体，从而实现针对性的抗生素治疗。细菌CEST信号也与细菌细胞数量成正比；这意味着它可在一段时间内用于通过细胞数量追踪治疗反应。结果表明，该领域的大多数研究都集中在脑实质感染（如脑炎），且大多数研究在动物模型中探究CEST的应用，少数研究探索CEST在人类受试者中的应用。还简要介绍了与临床医学相关的常见神经感染性疾病表现，以及用于可视化这些表现的传统和现代成像技术。
