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Quantitative MRI techniques for brown adipose tissue: Current status and advances
LIU Siheng  ZHANG Ying  AISHA Abuduwaili  LÜ Yanchun 

Cite this article as: LIU S H, ZHANG Y, AISHA A, et al. Quantitative MRI techniques for brown adipose tissue: Current status and advances[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(12): 228-234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.12.036.


[Abstract] The global increase in obesity and its associated complications, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome, has become a major public health concern. The fundamental cause of obesity is a prolonged imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, with adipose tissue, particularly brown adipose tissue (BAT), playing a key role in energy metabolism. Unlike white adipose tissue, which primarily stores energy, BAT dissipates energy through thermogenesis, making it a potential target for obesity prevention and treatment. This review provides an overview of current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for the quantitative assessment of BAT, including water-fat separation imaging, chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The applications and limitations of these techniques in quantifying BAT volume, lipid content, and metabolic activity are discussed. This review aims to analyze and evaluate current research findings, assess the potential and limitations of various techniques, identify future research directions, and promote the application of BAT-related magnetic resonance imaging technologies in the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases, ultimately contributing to the standardization and clinical translation in this field.
[Keywords] brown adipose tissue；magnetic resonance imaging；chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging；water-fat separation imaging

LIU Siheng   ZHANG Ying   AISHA Abuduwaili   LÜ Yanchun*  

Department of Imaging, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou510060, China

Corresponding author: LÜ Y C, E-mail: lvych@sysucc.org.cn

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2024-09-20
Accepted  2024-12-10
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.12.036
Cite this article as: LIU S H, ZHANG Y, AISHA A, et al. Quantitative MRI techniques for brown adipose tissue: Current status and advances[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2024, 15(12): 228-234. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2024.12.036.

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