Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance at the point-of-care

Introduction

HYPMET proposes a pioneering research methodology for hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for real-time monitoring of upregulated metabolic pathways in cancer cells and in-vivo, as well as for body fluid metabolic analyses with the prospect of revolutionizing the medical approach to personalized treatments.

Background

A common analytical method for structural biology, medical imaging, and chemical analysis is nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which is flexible but intrinsically insensitive. Even in the most sensitive NMR spectra, many endogenous compounds found in blood, saliva, or urine are currently unresolved.

Objectives

HYPMET will establish a ground-breaking technology enabling the detection of body fluids metabolites below the current limit of NMR detection (~μM) and the real-time monitoring of clinically relevant metabolic pathways in-cells and in-vivo. The key objectives include:

1. Enabling NMR metabolomics analyses at the point-of-care.
2. Ensuring full compatibility with personalized medical treatments.
3. Creating a compact device (less than 10×10×30 cm) that does not require superconducting magnets.

Methodology

Emerging methods, such as hyperpolarization methods (HM), can boost the NMR signal intensity. HYPMET will merge two HMs to achieve NMR signal enhancements of several thousand-fold continuously, in the liquid state and at ultra-low magnetic field (ULF, i.e., <10 mT) for many nuclear isotopes. The two HMs are:

• Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (ODNP)
• Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE)

Expertise

The Principal Investigator's unique expertise spans method development on various HMs and the development and implementation of a protocol for real-time monitoring of pyruvate to lactate conversions in-cells and in-vivo to probe the state of a tumor in real-time.

Future Prospects

Success in this multidisciplinary project will pave the way for efficient NMR metabolomics analyses and for better real-time metabolic conversion monitoring directly at the point-of-care. In the future, the technology could be further reduced in size and become a widespread clinical tool.