Across-cities transportable 13C hyperpolarization using UV-induced labile radicals

Abstract

Abstract Hyperpolarized 13 C Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (HP 13 C-MRSI) has the potential to transform diagnostic radiology thanks to its unique ability to noninvasively detect a broad range of diseases entailing aberrant metabolism. However, clinical adoption has been hindered by the short lifetime of 13 C-hyperpolarization and the resulting need for on-site polarizer near the MR scanner. In this work, we present a solution for long-lived transportable HP molecular contrast agents that uses dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (dDNP) combined with UV-induced labile radicals. This approach allows centralized pre-polarization and transport under hours-long storage T 1 conditions. We validate this concept through the first across-cities HP 13 C-MRSI experiments in vivo, injecting healthy female rats with both a perfusion/angiography ([1- 13 C]HP001) and a metabolic ([U- 13 C, d 7 ]glucose) contrast agent. Our findings advance the feasibility of decentralized, scalable HP MRI workflows, removing the barrier of on-site infrastructure.