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Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) approach is a novel tool within magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that allows visualization of molecules possessing exchangeable protons with water. Many molecules, employed as excipients for the formulation of finished drug products, are endowed with hydroxyl, amine or amide protons, thus can be exploitable as MRI-CEST contrast agents. Their high safety profiles allow them to be injected at very high doses. Here we investigated the MRI-CEST properties of several excipients (ascorbic acid, sucrose, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine, meglumine and 2-pyrrolidone) and tested them as tumor-detecting agents in two different murine tumor models (breast and melanoma cancers). All the investigated molecules showed remarkable CEST contrast upon i.v. administration in the range 1-3ppm according to the type of mobile proton groups. A marked increase of CEST contrast was observed in tumor regions up to 30min post injection. The combination of marked tumor contrast enhancement and lack of toxicity make these molecules potential candidates for the diagnosis of tumors within the MRI-CEST approach.

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Sub-Saharan African countries, like many other low-income countries, experience urban socio-economic inequalities due to rapid and unplanned urbanization. As a result, there is the creation of poor urban areas lacking basic sanitation, water and hygiene facilities, and subjacent public health issues such as the spread of waterborne diseases. The demarcation of disease transmission areas already exists, but is less appropriate in sub-Saharan Africa, making the need to divide these urban areas more adequately. In addition, the construction of frameworks tools more specific to waterborne diseases issues is essential.We propose a restructuring of sub-Saharan urban areas into more specific areas of exposure to waterborne diseases and associated exposomes. Then we use this restructuring of urban areas of exposure to waterborne diseases in a conceptual framework taken account causes of exposure, impact and interventions.The division of the urban area into public, domestic and indivudual exposure areas eases the understanding of the dynamics of waterborne exposomes. Moreover, the inclusion of this division in the DPSEEA( Driver-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action) framework allows a effective stratified implementation of urban public health policies.