Metabolic Imaging and Spectroscopy

MR imaging and spectroscopy are relatively insensitive techniques due to the fact that at room temperature only a small fraction of nuclei are polarized. However, at very low temperature of about 1 Kelvin the degree of polarization of MR sensitive nuclei can be significantly increased using Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) techniques. With recent break-through advances in dissolution DNP technology, it has become possible to enhance the MR sensitivity of relevant metabolic molecules by more than 35’000-fold. In collaboration with partners we develop instrumentation to further advance the dissolution DNP technology for in-vivo applications.

The rapid decay of hyperpolarized signals upon dissolution requires highly efficient spectroscopic imaging approaches. To this end, we devise, implement and validate spectroscopic imaging methods to map metabolic pathways in the heart. In combination with dedicated transmit and receive instrumentation on both preclinical and clinical MR imaging equipment we are able to conduct studies to elucidate changes in cardiac metabolism during various interventions. Starting from preclinical work on small animals, we are dedicated to translate the technology from bench to bedside including human trials.