# Targeted 19F MRI for molecular imaging of the immune response and its theranostics

## TL;DR

This review discusses how 19F MRI can be used to visualize and treat inflammation, focusing on its potential for diagnosing and managing diseases like colitis.

## Contribution

The paper highlights recent advances in using fluorine-based MRI for targeted theranostic applications, particularly in manipulating immune responses.

## Key findings

- 19F MRI allows for the detection of inflammation with minimal background signal.
- Recent strategies using 19F MRI have shown significant improvements in treating acute colitis by manipulating neutrophils.
- The integration of diagnosis and therapy through 19F MRI is promising for various disease models.

## Abstract

The in vivo visualization of inflammatory processes offers not only the possibility of localizing disease but also of monitoring its progression over time. Among available imaging modalities, combined 1H/19F MRI has emerged as a powerful technique, as it enables the detection of inflammation with minimal background signal. Beyond diagnosis, however, there is increasing interest in using this platform to initiate targeted therapeutic interventions. The integration of these two components—diagnosis and therapy—is commonly referred to as theranostics. In this review, we provide an overview of the potential of fluorine-based MRI and highlight a range of targeted theranostic applications across different disease models. Particular emphasis is placed on recent strategies to manipulate neutrophils during acute colitis, which have demonstrated significant improvements in disease outcome.