The thesis titled “Stereoselective synthesis of bio-active styryllactones” comprises an introduction about styryllactones and three sections delineating the results and discussion about the synthesis of styryllactones and experimental section. Trees of the genus Goniothalamus of the plant family Annonaceae in South East Asia has been known for a long time for their proven use in folk medicine. The research group of McLaughlin isolated and characterized a series of styryllactones, possessing significant to marginal cytotoxic activity against human tumor cell lines. The structures and relative configurations of these compounds were determined either by X-ray crystallography or by extensive NMR spectral analysis. Classification of these styryllactones is based on the structural characteristics of the six different skeletons as shown in Figure 1. It was proposed by Shing et al. that the bio-synthesis of styryllactones 1-7 occur via the shikimic acid pathway. This proceeds through the formation of cinnamic acid from phenylalanine, followed by the incorporation of two acetate–malonate units activated as co-enzyme A, generating the styryl-pyrone, goniothalamin 9 a key styryllactone, which on further hydroxylation/oxidation leads to the formation of other styryllactones Section 1: Stereoselective synthesis of styryllactones containing furanofurone, pyrano-pyrone and styryl-pyrone structural units. In this section of the thesis, stereoselective total synthesis of furano-furone, pyrano-pyrone and styryl-pyrone type styryllactones (+)-7-epi-goniofufurone 1, (+)-goniofufurone 2, (+)goniopypyrone 3, (+)-goniotriol 4, (+)-9-deoxygoniopypyrone 5 and (+)-goniodiol 6 is discussed. It is anticipated that the masked tetrol 13, comprising an alkene tether and four contiguous hydroxy groups installed with definite configuration would serve as the intermediate for the synthesis of styryllactones 1-6. It is relied on exploiting the hydroxy directed lactonization via the oxidation of alkene in 13, and subsequent elaboration to styryllactones 1-6. Bis-dimethylamide 10, derived from D-(−)-tartaric acid was identified as the suitable precursor for the synthesis of 13. Synthesis of masked tetrol 13 is accomplished from 10 involving a combination of selective Grignard additions and a stereoselective reduction (Scheme 2). Section 2: Stereoselective synthesis of styryllactones containing tetrahydrofuran and furano-pyrone structural units This section deals with stereoselective synthesis of natural antitumor tetrahydrofuran containing natural product (+)-goniothalesdiol 8. Key features of the synthesis include a FeCl3 mediated formation of THF 15 with very high selectivity (Scheme 3). THF 15 is further elaborated into the furano-pyrone type styryllactones (+)-altholactone 7 and (−)-etharvensin 16 in good yields (Scheme 3). Section 3: Stereoselective total synthesis of (+)-cardiobutanolide Recently, a new styryllactone cardiobutanolide 20 was isolated from the stem bark of Goniothalamus cardiopetalus, together with four known styryllactones by Hisham et al. Stereoselective total synthesis of this natural product from D-(−)-tartaric acid is described in this section. Key features of the synthesis include the elaboration of the γ-hydroxy butyramide 17 obtained from the bis-dimethylamide 10, involving a combination of the addition of 1,3-dithian-2-yllithium and stereoselective reduction (Scheme 4). (For structural formula pl see the pdf file)

Die Visualisierung bisher nicht nachweisbarer Defekte in hochwertigem Silizium konnte durch die Entwicklung neuer hochempfindlicher Mikrowellendetektionsverfahren erreicht werden. Dies eröffnet eine Vielzahl von Möglichkeiten zur kontaktlosen und zerstörungsfreien Charakterisierung von Halbleitern. Insbesondere sind bisher unzugängliche Defekte in Silizium und selbst in dünnen epitaktischen Schichten nachweisbar. Elektrische Eigenschaften von Halbleitern wie Lebensdauer, Beweglichkeit und Diffusionslänge können bei kleinen Injektionsraten mit einer Ortsauflösung, die nur durch die Diffusionslänge der Ladungsträger limitiert ist, gemessen werden. Aufgrund der um mehrere Größenordnungen verbesserten Empfindlichkeit kann über ein Mikrowellenabsorptionssignal die Ladungsträgeremission aus Defekten selbst bei qualitativ hochwertigstem Silizium untersucht werden. Dies ermöglicht die Vorhersage elektrischer Eigenschaften von Bauelementen bereits an den Ausgangswafern.

The study sought to determine the meaning and interpretation by facility managers and nurses on utilisation of expanded programme on immunisation and integrated management of childhood illnesses (EPI and IMCI) programmes for follow-up and antibody testing of HIV-exposed infants (HEI) at 18 months. Also to understand the factors within the health systems that influence the follow-up and antibody testing. The study setting selected was six facilities in Steve Tshwete subdistrict in Nkangala district of Mpumalanga province in South Africa. The study used a hermeneutic phenomenology using in-depth interviews for collecting data from 4 facility managers and 12 nurses. The major themes that emerged from the interviews were referral, defaulting, integration, stigma, and off-site ART initiation within the health system. These were found to influence the utilisation of HEI and IMCI services for follow-up and management of HEI. It was also found that the importance of integrating the management of HEI into the EPI and IMCI cannot be overemphasised. It was concluded that the Health Department needs to be vigilant and use all available resources to manage HEI to meet the MDG 4 of prevention of infant mortality / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Die Visualisierung bisher nicht nachweisbarer Defekte in hochwertigem Silizium konnte durch die Entwicklung neuer hochempfindlicher Mikrowellendetektionsverfahren erreicht werden. Dies eröffnet eine Vielzahl von Möglichkeiten zur kontaktlosen und zerstörungsfreien Charakterisierung von Halbleitern. Insbesondere sind bisher unzugängliche Defekte in Silizium und selbst in dünnen epitaktischen Schichten nachweisbar. Elektrische Eigenschaften von Halbleitern wie Lebensdauer, Beweglichkeit und Diffusionslänge können bei kleinen Injektionsraten mit einer Ortsauflösung, die nur durch die Diffusionslänge der Ladungsträger limitiert ist, gemessen werden. Aufgrund der um mehrere Größenordnungen verbesserten Empfindlichkeit kann über ein Mikrowellenabsorptionssignal die Ladungsträgeremission aus Defekten selbst bei qualitativ hochwertigstem Silizium untersucht werden. Dies ermöglicht die Vorhersage elektrischer Eigenschaften von Bauelementen bereits an den Ausgangswafern.

L’arthrose est la pathologie articulaire la plus répandue et, avec l’allongement de l’espérance de vie, sa prévalence ne cesse d’augmenter. Elle se caractérise par une dégénérescence du cartilage articulaire associée à une inflammation synoviale et un remodelage anormal de l’os sous-chondral, qui résultent en une perte progressive de mobilité et des douleurs très handicapantes. Dans le cartilage, le chondrocyte est le seul type cellulaire et il est responsable de la synthèse des composants de la matrice extracellulaire (collagènes, protéoglycanes). Au cours de l’arthrose, le phénotype du chondrocyte est altéré et la balance synthèse/dégradation des composants matriciels est déséquilibrée en faveur de la dégradation du cartilage. Il n’existe actuellement aucun traitement permettant de ralentir efficacement l’évolution du processus arthrosique, de sorte que la recherche de biomarqueurs pertinents et de cibles thérapeutiques potentielles est en pleine effervescence depuis l’explosion de l’étude des microARNs. Les microARNs sont des petits ARNs non codants régulant négativement l’expression des gènes. On estime que 50% des gènes sont potentiellement régulés par les miARNs. Les miARNs semblent impliqués dans tous les processus biologiques majeurs tels que la différenciation cellulaire, l’apoptose ou encore la cancérisation. Ces petits ARN non codants sont donc des biomarqueurs potentiels très intéressants. Au cours de ces travaux de thèse l’implication des miARN dans la régulation du phénotype chondrocytaire a été étudiée. A partir d’un modèle de perte du phénotype chondrocytaire différencié, provoquée par des repiquages successifs ou une stimulation par l’IL-1β les variations du profil d’expression des miARNs ont été analysées par l’utilisation de puces dédiées. Ces données ont permis de mettre en évidence 43 miARNs candidats dont le cluster miR-23~27b~24-1 et miR-29b. L’étude de la régulation de la production différentielle des miARNs de ce cluster a été entreprise, sans que nous parvenions toutefois à apporter une réponse formelle sur les mécanismes impliqués. Néanmoins, nous avons identifié miR-29b comme un régulateur négatif de l’expression du gène codant Col-IIa1 au cours de la perte du phénotype différencié, ainsi que chez les chondrocytes « arthrosiques ». Enfin, comme il a été montré au laboratoire que l’équilibre entre les concentrations extracellulaires de pyrophosphate/phosphate inorganique (ePi/ePPi) était essentiel au maintien du phénotype chondrocytaire différencié, nous nous sommes intéressés à la régulation des gènes codant les acteurs protéiques impliqués dans cette balance (ANK, PC1, Pit-1 et TNAP). A partir de prédictions de cibles par analyse in silico, un panel de 4 miARNs candidats a été établi : let7e, miR-9, miR-188 et miR-219. Nos travaux avec des systèmes rapporteurs ont démontré l’implication de miR-9 en tant que régulateur négatif de l’expression des gènes PC-1, Pit-1 et TNAP, de façon cohérente ou non avec les prédictions bio-informatiques. / Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent joint disease and its prevalence still grows with the increase in lifespan. OA is characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, together with synovitis and abnormal subchondral bone remodeling, leading to progressive loss of mobility and pain. Chondrocyte is the unique cell type in cartilage which accounts for the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) components (collagens, proteoglycans). During OA, chondrocyte phenotype is altered and the balance between ECM synthesis and degradation is impaired towards cartilage degradation. To date no treatment can efficiently reduce OA progression so that the search for reliable biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets is very active, particularly since the discovery of microRNAs. miRNAs are estimated to regulate 50% of cellular genes. They contribute to major cellular processes such as cell differentiation, apoptosis or tumorigenesis. Therefore, miRNAs are interesting putative biomarkers. During this PhD thesis, we studied the contribution of miARNs to the control of chondrocyte phenotype. Using a model of chondrocyte differentiated phenotype loss induced by extensive subculturing or IL-1β challenge we studied changes in miRNAs profile with microarrays. We determined a panel of 43 varying miRNA including the miR-23~27b~24-1 cluster and miR-29b. The differential production of miRNAs from this cluster has been investigated, but we didn’t succeed in identifying the underlying mechanisms. However, we identified miR-29b as a negative post-transcriptional regulator of Col-IIa1 during differentiated phenotype loss and OA. Finally, as equilibrium between extracellular levels of inorganic phosphate and pyrophosphate (ePi/ePPi) was previously shown in the laboratory to be crucial for the maintenance of a differentiated chondrocyte phenotype, we studied the regulation of the genes encoding the 4 proteins regulating this balance (ANK, PC1, Pit-1 and TNAP). From in silico analysis, we selected a panel of 4 miRNAs: let7e, miR-9, miR-188 and miR-219. Using reporter assays, we showed that miR-9 was a negative regulator of PC-1, Pit-1 and TNAP, according or not to bioinformatics prediction

A biodiversidade de plantas brasileiras é uma fonte muito rica de moléculas bioativas, dentro da proposta da busca por novas drogas antitumorais, avaliamos neste estudo o potencial antiproliferativo do composto 7-epi-clusianona. Foram utilizadas duas linhagens celulares derivadas de tumor de mama humana, Hs 578T e MCF-7, cultivadas em monocamada e como esferoides. O IC50 após 48 horas de tratamento das células é de 20 μM para Hs 578T e 6 μM para MCF-7. A análise do ciclo celular mostrou que o composto é capaz de reter as células em fase G1/G0 em ambas as linhagens em 2D, mas não em 3D. O composto é capaz de induzir as células a senescência celular, como mostrado pelo ensaio de detecção de β-galactosidase. Esses dados indicam que o composto 7-epi-clusianona é uma molécula promissora, que demonstrou potencial antitumoral em células de tumor de mama. A cultura tridimensional se mostrou mais resistente ao tratamento com 7-epi-clusianona, portanto estudos mais abrangentes são necessários para melhor entendimento dos efeitos do composto sobre esse tipo de cultura. / Brazilian flora is considered one of the most diverse in the world and natural products are some of the important sources of new antitumoral compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative potential of 7-epi-clusianone. Two cell lines derived from human breast tumor were used, Hs 578T and MCF-7, cultured in monolayer and as spheroids. The IC50 after 48 hours of treatment is 20 μM to Hs 578T cells and 6 μM to MCF-7 cells. Cell cycle analysis showed induction of cell cycle arrest in G1/S phase in cells cultured in monolayers, but not in spheroids. The amount of cells in senescence after the treatment with 7-epi-clusianone is higher than the control group, as seen by the senescence β-galactosidase staining assay. These data suggest that 7-epi-clusianone is a promising molecule against breast cancer cells. We show that 3D culture was more resistant to treatment than 2D culture, therefore more comprehensive studies are needed to better understand the effects of 7-epi-clusianone on this kind of culture.

L'épigénome est défini par l’ensemble de l’information chromatinienne autre que celle fournie par la séquence ADN. Au sein d'une même espèce et pour un type cellulaire donné, chaque individu présente des caractéristiques particulières de l'épigénome. Les épi-polymorphismes, définis comme étant les différences inter-individus de marques chromatiniennes, sont encore partiellement caractérisés et peuvent être liés aux phénotypes de chacun. La première partie de mon travail a été d'identifier et d'interpréter chez S.cerevisiae l'impact des épi-polymorphismes de modification des queues d'histones. Pour y parvenir, j'ai cartographié les épigénomes de cinq modifications différentes (3 acétylations et 2 méthylations) chez trois souches de levures issues de différents isolats naturels. Par une méthode de ChIP-seq et le développement d'un outil informatique, j'ai comparé les épigénomes de ces souches à l'échelle de nucléosomes individuels. L'étude des propriétés génomiques des épi-polymorphismes m'a alors permis de découvrir certaines caractéristiques encore inconnues et décrites dans ce manuscrit.Par ailleurs, j'ai voulu aborder le lien entre épi-polymorphismes et réponse transcriptionnelle à l'environnement. Pour cela, j'ai construit un jeu de souches mutantes dérivées de souches naturelles, où certains épi-polymorphismes ne peuvent plus être maintenus. J'ai analysé par RNA-seq les transcriptomes de certaines de ces souches avant et après un changement environnemental. Malheureusement, l'analyse des résultats a révélé que la qualité des données ne permettent pas d'établir le lien recherché mais les outils mis en place sont désormais disponibles.J'ai enfin étudié la dynamique d'évolution d'un épigénome en présence ou en l'absence de pression de sélection. Pour cela, j'ai suivi une modification d'histone (l'acétylation de la lysine 14 de l'histone H3) chez la levure pendant 1.000 générations dans deux conditions d'évolution expérimentale différentes : l'une sélective, l'autre neutre. J'ai mis en évidence des différences remarquables et inattendues entre ces deux régimes évolutifs. Des études mécanistiques détaillées restent à faire pour caractériser la nature et les propriétés de ces différences. / Epigenome is defined as the entire chromatin information other than the DNA sequence. Within a given species and for a given cell type, each indivual has specific epigenomic characteristics. Epigenomic differences between individuals (refered to as 'epi-polymorphisms') remain poorly characterized, although cases were reported where they could be linked to phenotypic differences. In my thesis, I used the model organism S. cerevisiae to identify histone modification epi-polymorphisms and study their biological impact. I profiled the epigenome of five different histone modifications (3 acetylations and 2 methylations) in three natural yeast strains. By ChIP-seq methods and software developments, I compared these strains at single-nucleosome resolution and discovered novel characteristics of these epi-polymorphisms which are described in this manuscript.Furthermore, I constructed a research framework to investigate the link between epi-polimorphisms and response to environmental cues. For this, I built a set of mutant strains derived from natural strains but where some epi-polymorphisms can no longer be maintained. I analyzed by RNA-seq the transcriptomes of some of these mutant strains before and after an environmental shift. Unfortunately, the quality of this initial data produced was not sufficient to link epi-polymorphisms to differntial responses, but the strain resources remain available for further investigations. Finally, I studied the evolutionary dynamics of epi-polymorphisms in the presence or absence of selection pressure. To do so, I followed the evolution of H3K14ac for 1.000 generations under two conditions of yeast experimental evolution ( selective or neutral). Marked differences were observed between the two regimes, revealing unexpected consequences of the presence of selection. Further mechanistic studies will be needed to elucidate the full properties of these differences.

A biodiversidade de plantas brasileiras é uma fonte muito rica de moléculas bioativas, dentro da proposta da busca por novas drogas antitumorais, avaliamos neste estudo o potencial antiproliferativo do composto 7-epi-clusianona. Foram utilizadas duas linhagens celulares derivadas de tumor de mama humana, Hs 578T e MCF-7, cultivadas em monocamada e como esferoides. O IC50 após 48 horas de tratamento das células é de 20 μM para Hs 578T e 6 μM para MCF-7. A análise do ciclo celular mostrou que o composto é capaz de reter as células em fase G1/G0 em ambas as linhagens em 2D, mas não em 3D. O composto é capaz de induzir as células a senescência celular, como mostrado pelo ensaio de detecção de β-galactosidase. Esses dados indicam que o composto 7-epi-clusianona é uma molécula promissora, que demonstrou potencial antitumoral em células de tumor de mama. A cultura tridimensional se mostrou mais resistente ao tratamento com 7-epi-clusianona, portanto estudos mais abrangentes são necessários para melhor entendimento dos efeitos do composto sobre esse tipo de cultura. / Brazilian flora is considered one of the most diverse in the world and natural products are some of the important sources of new antitumoral compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative potential of 7-epi-clusianone. Two cell lines derived from human breast tumor were used, Hs 578T and MCF-7, cultured in monolayer and as spheroids. The IC50 after 48 hours of treatment is 20 μM to Hs 578T cells and 6 μM to MCF-7 cells. Cell cycle analysis showed induction of cell cycle arrest in G1/S phase in cells cultured in monolayers, but not in spheroids. The amount of cells in senescence after the treatment with 7-epi-clusianone is higher than the control group, as seen by the senescence β-galactosidase staining assay. These data suggest that 7-epi-clusianone is a promising molecule against breast cancer cells. We show that 3D culture was more resistant to treatment than 2D culture, therefore more comprehensive studies are needed to better understand the effects of 7-epi-clusianone on this kind of culture.

<p>U radu je ostvarena enantiodivergentna totalna sinteza oba enantiomera goniofufurona, 7-epi-goniofufurona i krasalaktona C polazeći iz D-glukoze. Ključne faze u sintezi 7-epi-(+)-goniofufurona bile su stereoselektivna adicija fenilmagnezijum bromida na aldehidnu grupu pogodno za&scaron;tićene dialdoze, i stereospecifično formiranje furano-laktonskog prstena ciklokondenzacijom odabranog hemiacetalnog derivata sa Meldrum-ovom kiselinom. Sinteza (+)-goniofufurona i (+)-krasalaktona C zahtevala je inverziju konfiguracije na C-5<br />u zajedničkom intermedijeru, koja je efikasno ostvarena u uslovima Mitsunobu-ove reakcije, ili alternativno oksidacijom benzilne hidroksilne grupe u prohiralni keton, uz naknadnu stereoselektivnu redukcijom sa borohidridom. Sličan pristup je zatim primenjen za sintezu neprirodnih (&minus;)-enantiomera goniofufurona, 7-epi-goniofufurona i krasalaktona C, dva nova konformaciono ograničena analoga (+)- i (&minus;)-goniofufurona (oksetani 36 i ent-36), kao i odgovarajućih 7-deoksigenovanih derivata (31 i ent-31). Takodje je razvijena i prva totalna sinteza prirodnog (+)-krasalaktona B (3) i alternativna sinteza (+)-krasalaktona C (4) polazeći iz D-glukoze. Selektivni pristup molekulima 3, odnosno 4 omogućen je promenom uslova za TBDPS deprotekciju u finalnom intermedijeru 53. Osnovna karakteristika pomenutih pristupa je njihova generalnost i fleksibilnost. Na taj način je omogućena sinteza serije analoga i derivata (+)-goniofufurona, ili 7-epi-goniofufurona, uključujući i do sada nepoznate 7-epi-(+)-krasalaktone B (6) i C (7), 5,7-di-O-cinamoil derivate 8 i 9, 5,7-di-O-izopropilidenske derivate 5 i 10, kao i vi&scaron;e lipofilnih derivata (jedinjenja 26, 30, 33, 65, ent-30 i ent-33). Konačno, u drugom delu rada, ispitan je uticaj sintetizovanih stiril-laktona na rast odabranih tumorskih ćelijskih linija in vitro.</p> / <p> Enantiodivergent total syntheses of both (+)- and (&minus;)-enantiomers of goniofufurone, 7-epi-goniofufurone and crassalactone C have been accomplished starting from D-glucose. The key steps of the synthe-sis of 7-epi-(+)-goniofufurone were a stereo-selective addition of&nbsp;<br /> phenyl magnesium bromide to a protected dialdose, followed by a stereospecific furano-lactone ring formation by condensation of a partially protected lactole with Meldrum&rsquo;s acid. The synthesis of (+)-goniofufurone and (+)-crassalactone C required a configurational inversion at C-5 in the common intermediate that was efficiently achieved under the standard Mitsunobu conditions, or alternatively through a sequential oxidation of the benzylic hydroxyl group followed by a stereo-selective reduction with borohydride. A similar approach was applied to the synthesis of the unnatural enantiomers of goniofufurone, 7-epi-goniofufurone and crassalactone C, two novel, conformationally constrained analogues of both (+)- and (&minus;)-goniofufurone (oxetanes 34 and ent-34). as well as the corresponding 7-deoxygenated derivatives (31 and ent-31). We have also developed the first total synthesis of (+)-crassalactone B (2) and an alternative synthesis of (+)-crassalactone C (3) starting from D-glucose. Finally, the synthesized styryl-lactones were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of human tumor cell lines.</p>

L’hyperthermie guidée par IRM permet l’ablation thermique des tumeurs, l’activation de l’expression d’un transgène sous contrôle d’un promoteur thermo-sensible ainsi que le dépôt local de médicaments à l’aide de nanovéhicules sensibles à la température ou à la pression locale. L’imagerie de température par IRM, basée sur la technique du décalage de la fréquence de résonance du proton permet le monitorage des interventions d’hyperthermie. Les procèdes interventionnels guides par IRM sur cible mobile requièrent des séquences d’imagerie rapides afin d’obtenir des images de phases ayant une résolution spatio-temporelle élevée. Nous avons démontré l’efficacité de l’association des méthodes adaptatives d’imagerie parallèle telles que TSENSE et TGRAPPA et de la méthode multi-référence de l’atlas de mouvement afin de compenser les variations du champ magnétique induites par les organes en mouvement. Les procédés interventionnels guides par IRM sont basés sur des séquences d’imagerie rapides capables de fournir des images en temps-réel ayant une relation précise entre la position de la cible représentée dans l’image et sa vraie position spatiale. Les séquences écho-planar sont très rapides mais possèdent des distorsions géométriques. Nous avons proposé une méthode de correction des distorsions des images EPI. Cette technique est basée sur des approches existantes utilisant l’acquisition de deux images EPI ayant deux temps d’écho différents. L’efficacité de la méthode proposée a été démontrée pour une expérience de thermométrie par IRM. La rapidité du traitement des données, associée à une faible diminution de la rapidité d’acquisition, rend cette méthode particulièrement adaptée pour les procédés interventionnels guides par IRM. La perfusion sanguine, la diffusion thermique ainsi que le coefficient d’absorption des ondes acoustiques ou électromagnétiques déterminent la distribution de la température durant les procédés interventionnels. Certaines tumeurs ont des taux de perfusion élevés conduisant à une évacuation importante de la chaleur et par conséquent, un refroidissement rapide de la cible. Cet effet réduit la température maximale atteinte pour une puissance donne et peut conduire à des zones d’ablation plus petites réduisant ainsi l’efficacité de l’intervention. La connaissance précise des paramètres thermiques du tissu peut aider à la planification des procédés interventionnels. Dans ce but, nous avons proposé une méthode permettant la détermination précise des paramètres cités précédemment. / MR-guided HIFU-induced hyperthermia allows for thermal ablation of tumors, for gene therapy by thermal induction of transgenic expression (based on a thermo-sensitive promoter) and for local drug delivery using thermo-sensitive liposomes. These applications require accurate temperature measurement during the therapeutic intervention. Dynamic MR-temperature imaging based on the proton resonance frequency shift technique allows monitoring the local temperature evolution during hyperthermia. MR-guided thermotherapy on moving organs requires imaging sequences providing phase images with high temporal and spatial resolution. We demonstrated the feasibility of combining adaptive parallel imaging techniques such as TSENSE or TGRAPPA with the atlas-based multi-baseline method for compensating the magnetic field variations produced by moving organs during the respiratory cycle. Many MR-guided interventional procedures rely on real-time imaging sequences for providing precise relations between the target position in the image and the true position in the scanner. Although echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequences are very fast, they are prone to geometric distortions. For correcting these distortions, we proposed a real-time correction method by applying existing approaches based on a dual EPI acquisition with varying echo times. It is demonstrated that this method works well in combination with MR-thermometry for guiding thermal therapies. Short data-processing times as well as a small penalty in acquisition speed make this method well-adapted for MR-guided interventions. Local blood perfusion, thermal conductivity and the absorption coefficient of acoustic or electro-magnetic waves determine the temperature distribution in living tissue. Some tumors have high perfusion rates resulting in considerable heat evacuation. This effect reduces the maximal temperature increase achievable for a given deposited energy and produces smaller ablation zones, which can impair the efficiency of the therapeutic procedure. A method for accurately estimating the above mentioned tissue parameters, was presented. This method could thus be useful in quantifying the influence of perfusion during thermal interventions.