PzEH

Targeted imaging offers a powerful diagnostic tool in the field of personalized medicine and enables the early detection and identification of disease sites. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers an excellent imaging modality due to its high spatial resolution and non-invasive and non-radiative nature. However, low sensitivity is a limiting factor in molecular imaging (especially when using low-field devices). Hyperpolarization techniques offer the possibility to amplify MR signals by several orders of magnitude. Hyperpolarized MRI mainly uses small molecules/metabolites to track metabolism in real time, whereas there are few studies on hyperpolarization of targeted contrast agents. These usually consist of a unit with targeting properties and an imaging marker. DNA aptamers are ideally suited for targeting purposes, they consist of short DNA strands and can be engineered to bind to a desired target (e.g. a pathogenic site) with high affinity and selectivity. The aim of this project is to develop a platform technology for the hyperpolarization of PHIP-labeled DNA aptamers as novel contrast agents for targeted MRI.