02078nas a2200361   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260001500043653001200058653003100070653002300101653001800124653002700142100001400169700001600183700001600199700001300215700002300228700001400251700001800265700001300283700001300296700002200309700002200331700001400353700001400367245009200381856005500473300000900528490000700537520115800544022001401702       2024                            d  c2024-07-1910aImaging10aMagnetic Resonance Imaging10aPredictive markers10aPreterm birth10atranslational research1 aWenjie Wu1 aZhexian Sun1 aHansong Gao1 aYuan Nan1 aStephanie Pizzella1 aHaonan Xu1 aJosephine Lau1 aYiqi Lin1 aHui Wang1 aPamela K. Woodard1 aHannah R. Krigman1 aQing Wang1 aYong Wang00aWhole cervix imaging of collagen, muscle, and cellularity in term and preterm pregnancy  uhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48680-9  a59420 v153 aCervical softening and dilation are critical for the successful term delivery of a fetus, with premature changes associated with preterm birth. Traditional clinical measures like transvaginal ultrasound and Bishop scores fall short in predicting preterm births and elucidating the cervix’s complex microstructural changes. Here, we introduce a magnetic resonance diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI) technique for non-invasive, comprehensive imaging of cervical cellularity, collagen, and muscle fibers. This method is validated through ex vivo DBSI and histological analyses of specimens from total hysterectomies. Subsequently, retrospective in vivo DBSI analysis at 32 weeks of gestation in ten term deliveries and seven preterm deliveries with inflammation-related conditions shows distinct microstructural differences between the groups, alongside significant correlations with delivery timing. These results highlight DBSI’s potential to improve understanding of premature cervical remodeling and aid in the evaluation of therapeutic interventions for at-risk pregnancies. Future studies will further assess DBSI’s clinical applicability.  a2041-1723