Ultra sensitive MRI

researchers have developed a technique for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that can detect molecules at 10,000 times lower concentrations than conventional MRI techniques.

The US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley developed the method. Called HYPER-CEST, for hyperpolarised xenon chemical exchange saturation transfer, it holds great promise for molecular imaging, in which the spatial distribution of specific molecules is detected within an organism. Ultimately, HYPER-CEST could become a valuable tool for medical diagnosis, including the early detection of cancer.

In the technique xenon atoms that have been hyperpolarised with laser light to enhance their MRI signal are incorporated into a biosensor and linked to specific protein or ligand targets. These hyperpolarised xenon biosensors generate highly selective contrast at sites where they are bound, dramatically boosting the strength of the MRI signal and resulting in spatial images of the chosen molecular or cellular target.