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• Review •
Recent advances in brown adipose tissue imaging using magnetic resonance techniques and their emerging clinical applications
PAN Rutong  OUYANG Qunhui  LIN Chulan  WANG Wei  ZHAN Wenfeng  LI Wuming  ZENG Kejing  CHEN Bo  JIANG Guihua  LIU Ping 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.033.


[Abstract] Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a critical role in thermoregulation and energy metabolism, and its dysfunction is closely associated with various metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, the lack of accurate, non-invasive imaging techniques capable of quantifying and visualizing BAT distribution and functional activity has significantly hindered its clinical translation and application in health management and disease prevention. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with its advantages of non-invasiveness, high spatial resolution, superior soft-tissue contrast, and capability for quantitative and visual analysis, has emerged as a highly promising modality for advancing BAT research and clinical application. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in multimodal MRI techniques for BAT quantification, including chemical shift encoded imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chemical exchange saturation transfer. It also critically examines their current applications in various conditions including obesity, CVD and cancer. Importantly, it addresses the insufficient integration of artificial intelligence and the lack of in-depth analysis of clinical application value in existing literature, while also discussing the key challenges facing current methodologies. This review aims to enhance the recognition of the value of multimodal MRI in BAT research and to provide a theoretical basis and novel perspectives for developing improved imaging protocols and promoting the integration of BAT assessment into health management and disease prevention pathways.
[Keywords] brown adipose tissue；magnetic resonance imaging；multimodal magnetic resonance imaging；fat quantification；clinical application

PAN Rutong1   OUYANG Qunhui1   LIN Chulan1   WANG Wei1   ZHAN Wenfeng1   LI Wuming1   ZENG Kejing2   CHEN Bo2   JIANG Guihua1   LIU Ping1*  

1 Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial People's Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510317, China

2 Department of Endocrinology, the Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial People's Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510317, China

Corresponding author: LIU P, E-mail: ping0625liu0318@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-09-30
Accepted  2025-12-06
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.033
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.12.033.

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