Team:TU-Eindhoven/Project

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides the clinical and research field with high quality images of a patient’s body. Therefore, MRI has become an irreplaceable tool for detecting cancers. Nevertheless, it has the disadvantage of using heavy metals in contrast agents. Yet without heavy metals MRI would not be able to detect cancer or any other disease efficiently, or would it?

Our project focuses on CEST MRI. Within CEST imaging, proteins enclosing hydrogen atoms can be used to generate images with the same quality as those produced with heavy metals. We use Escherichia coli K-12 to create CEST proteins when the bacteria sense a hypoxic environment, thus working as a production factory and delivery system. Based on the principle of our project, we propose two applications, tumor CEST MR Imaging and tracking of bacteria in bacterial infections studies.