Investigating brain metabolism with hyperpolarized magnetic resonance

Saket Patel

Research focus
The overall aim of the project is to merge together the use of UV-induced radicals with varying chemical composition of the sample to make the metabolic uptake of the substrate faster and generate relatively longer lasting polarization, in order to achieve mechanistic insight into brain metabolism. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate the difference in brain metabolism of key metabolites in healthy and pathological tissues to extract the conclusive mechanistic difference. 

Perspective
Alteration in key metabolic pathways in the brain may be hallmarks of pathologies. Deep insight into brain function, metabolism and changes in brain metabolism in pathological tissue may provide crucial information for disease detection and therapy. Hyperpolarization by dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization provides a pathway to probe metabolism in vivo in real-time and extract clinically relevant information from the consumption, distribution and localization of injected hyperpolarized substrates. 

Scientific output
Find Saket's publications at DTU's online research database ORBIT.

Funding
The project is funded by H. C. Ørsted COFUND, a joint program between Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Horizon 2020) and DTU (grant agreement no. 713683 (COFUNDfellowsDTU). The project is part of the HYPERMAG Center of Excellence funded by Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF124). 

Project Period
March  2019 - August 2021