The present disclosure provides a method that includes applying at least one radiofrequency saturation pulse at a frequency or a range of frequencies to substantially saturate magnetization corresponding to an exchangeable proton in the ROI to generate magnetic resonance (MR) data. The MR data is then acquired using an echo-planar imaging readout, which is configured to sample a series of gradient echo pulse trains at a series of gradient echo times and a series of spin echo pulse trains at a series of spin echo times. One or more relaxometry measurement is then computed using the MR data sampled at the gradient echo times and the spin echo times. An oxygen-weighted image is then generated using the one or more relaxometry measurement, and a pH-weighted image is generated using MR data sampled at one or more of the spin echo times or gradient echo times.
Simultaneous pH and oxygen weighted MRI contrast using multi-echo chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging (ME-CEST)