21. Sampling Hyperpolarized Molecules Utilizing a 1 Tesla Permanent Magnetic Field
Sui Seng Tee, Valentina DiGialleonardo, Roozbeh Eskandari, Sangmoo Jeong, Kristin L. Granlund, Vesselin Miloushev, Alex J. Poot, Steven Truong, Julio A. Alvarez, Hannah N. Aldeborgh and Kayvan R. Keshari, Scientific Reports, (2016), 6, DOI: 10.1038/srep32846
Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HP MRS) using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is a technique that has greatly enhanced the sensitivity of detecting 13C nuclei. However, the HP MRS polarization decays in the liquid state according to the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of the nucleus. Sampling of the signal also destroys polarization, resulting in a limited temporal ability to observe biologically interesting reactions. In this study, we demonstrate that sampling hyperpolarized signals using a permanent magnet at 1 Tesla (1T) is a simple and cost-effective method to increase T1s without sacrificing signal-to-noise. Biologically-relevant information may be obtained with a permanent magnet using enzyme solutions and in whole cells. Of significance, our findings indicate that changes in pyruvate metabolism can also be quantified in a xenograft model at this field strength.