hyperpolarized 13C-urea

Hyperpolarized 13C-urea is a diagnostic imaging probe used in carbon-13 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess tissue perfusion and vascularity. It is generated through dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), a process that increases the nuclear spin polarization of 13C nuclei, providing a temporary but massive increase in MRI signal sensitivity. Unlike 13C-pyruvate, which is metabolized into lactate or bicarbonate to provide information on metabolic flux, 13C-urea is metabolically inert in human tissues. This metabolic stability makes it an ideal co-polarized tracer for measuring blood flow and providing a reference for perfusion-independent metabolic quantification. It is primarily being investigated in clinical research settings, including studies of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and various cancers, to better characterize the hemodynamic environment of diseased tissues.

Other names

hyperpolarized carbon-13 urea13C-urea