Detection of iron-labeled single cells by MR imaging based on intermolecular double quantum coherences at 14 T

[Display omitted] ► Feasibility verification of iDQC MR imaging method for single cell detection. ► Comparison of iDQC and GE images at various experimental conditions. ► iDQC images show higher cell detectability than GE images under some favorable conditions. ► iDQC imaging could be an alternative to GE imaging for cellular/molecular imaging. To evaluate the efficiency and feasibility of intermolecular multiple quantum coherence (iMQC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for single cell detection, we obtained intermolecular double quantum coherence (iDQC) and conventional gradient echo (GE) images of macrophage cells labeled by contrast agents in gel. The iDQC images obtained with echo-planar readout visualized the labeled cells effectively and with a higher contrast than seen in conventional GE images, especially at low planar resolutions and with thick slices. This implies that iDQC imaging with contrast agents could be a good alternative to conventional MR imaging for detecting labeled single cells or cell tracking under favorable conditions.