CONQUER has shown the feasibility of a completely new mechanism for designing responsive contrast agents (CAs) for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the context of molecular imaging. The mechanism relies on quadrupole relaxation enhancement (QRE) using Bismuth (209Bi) nuclei.
By Hermann Scharfetter - The FETopen CONQUER project launched at TU Graz three years ago was successfully completed by August 31st 2018. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become indispensable in modern medicine. It is an extremely powerful diagnostic tool with high spatial resolution, penetration depth and superb soft tissue contrast without the use of harmful ionizing radiation. Contrast in is essentially obtained through differences in local proton density and relaxation times in the tissues of interest. Though extremely successful in morphological and functional imaging, still suffers from low sensitivity when addressing molecular imaging. However, the development of molecular probes responsive to various pathologies and biological processes is opening up unique possibilities for medical diagnostics, and the development of corresponding non-toxic and biocompatible relaxation enhancers is thus highly desirable for. The CONQUER project was motivated with this in mind, and involved a highly interdisciplinary and international team of experts in chemical engineering, material sciences, biomedical engineering, quantum physics and toxicology.
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