Breakthrough in Contrast Material for Medical Imaging Studies

An extremely important medical imaging development in detecting diseases is magnetic resonance imaging. This is dependent on the injection of contrast material to show specific tissue or to differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue. The materials used in this medical imaging procedure tend to have the drawback of being either simply constructed and stable in the body but providing low contrast OR very complex in construction and providing sharper medical imaging contrast but with less stability.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has been working together with researchers at Florida State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder to invent new medical imaging contrast materials that are extremely magnetic, unvarying (and thereby easier to manage) and very small. This combination of qualities will work together to produce a very safe, predictable, highly effective contract solution to be used in medical imaging.

Florida State University researcher Naresh Dalal and additional researchers have developed a magnetic molecule identified as "Fe8" includes all of the desirable attributes. This molecule magnet has eight ion bonds, is water-soluble and non-toxic.

Newly published papers describe the molecules test results which show that Fe8 provides good contrast in non-clinical MRI studies over a specific range of concentrations, dismissing an earlier confusion regarding the value of Fe8 in medical imaging. The research had resulted in conflicting results because the concentration of Fe8 had not been accounted for during testing.

These advances are partly due to advances in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology involves working with particles that are one billionth of a meter thick. The methods that are available to measure and manipulate these tiny particles of matter will support further research on Fe8. Researchers are hoping that these newer medical imaging contrast media will be able to be manipulated for even bigger benefit than this first research suggests. For instance, researchers have been seeking ways to "turn on" and "turn off" the medical imaging contrast traits by synthesizing contrast media that attaches only to specific molecules or binds only when exposed to certain conditions that can be monitored and managed.

Regardless of the fact that this breakthrough in contrast media for medical imaging is enormously promising and could provide a large leap forward in the quality of magnetic resonance imaging, there is still a great deal of testing and research that must be accomplished before Fe8 can be made accessable for use in medical imaging.

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Jesse Fisher likes writing articles for his clients including Transamerican Medical, a company that resells Philips Medical equipment and parts. See also Medical Imaging News.