Current Research and Development in the Field of Magnetic Resonance Contrast Media

The next-generation, high relaxivity, gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are discussed, together with new studies of safety, improvements in MR technique, and the ongoing development of additional agents. It is likely that the next generation agents, gadopiclenol and gadoquatrane, will largely replace the current standards, the macrocyclic gadolinium chelates, despite the excellent safety profile and very high stability of the latter. In the Group of Seven (G7) nations, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, use of the linear gadolinium chelates has largely ceased, due to concerns regarding their relative instability as compared to the macrocyclic agents and the deposition of gadolinium that occurs in many tissues, including brain and bone, following their injection. Manganese-based compounds are once again being investigated, a field largely untouched since the initial development of clinical MR contrast media in the 1980s. Their potential impact on clinical imaging is, however, unclear. New information continues to emerge regarding differences in stability of the gadolinium-based agents. Artificial intelligence and deep learning techniques are maturing and are discussed briefly, given their potential and recent clinical application involving MR contrast media.