High-throughput Clinical Hyperpolarized 13C MRI - PROJECT SUMMARY This application requests funding to purchase a clinical grade NVision Polaris™ C13 polarizer. This instrument allows hyperpolarization of C13 substrates, providing more than a 10,000-fold increase in MRI signal. Metabolic imaging with hyperpolarized C13 substrates allows objective measures of the injected substrate and its metabolic products to track key metabolic pathways in real-time. The potential of C13 metabolic imaging has been demonstrated in 30+ clinical trials of prostate, breast, cervical and brain cancer patients worldwide. Hyperpolarized C13 MRI is safe, and more than 800 patients have been scanned. In cancer imaging, C13 MRI can allow more accurate detection of tumors, disease progression, and treatment response. There are also non- cancer applications where metabolic derangement may serve as an early or precise biomarker, for example alteration in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s or liver dysfunction. Installation of this clinical C13 polarizer at our institution will be revolutionary for several reasons. First, it will be FDA-approved for human use and MGH would be the only site in New England to have this capability. Second, this instrument can be used on our PET/MR system, which would enable combination C13 MRI-PET imaging. Third, this polarizer uses a different technique to achieve hyperpolarization known as parahydrogen induced polarization, with the resulting advantage where a clinical-grade sample can be produced every 5-10 minutes—a 1/10th of the time in comparison to prior-generation systems—allowing for seamless integration into a clinical imaging workflow and for whole-body imaging studies. Lastly, there are several laboratories in the Boston area that have conducted extensive preclinical research with hyperpolarized C13 metabolic imaging in the brain, kidneys, liver, and pancreas, and this system would finally allow translation of many of these studies into the clinical realm. In addition, there are other investigators in the area who are conducting clinical studies on neuroinflammation, drug response, prostatic inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases that would benefit from having a C13 polarizer to provide new in vivo data on tumor or tissue metabolism. The proposed C13 polarizer will be located within the Massachusetts General Hospital, at the center of the Mass General Brigham Cancer Center. The system will be run in partnership with the Martinos Center, a renowned molecular imaging center known for cutting-edge MR research, including a preclinical C13 metabolic imaging program, with additional expertise in MEG, PET, Nano-particle MRI and Optical Imaging. We look forward to sharing this instrument with researchers and collaborators across the Greater Boston area and throughout New England.
