Non-ionizing metabolic imaging represents a paradigm shift compared to both traditional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and alternative technologies for mapping metabolic activity. MITI will develop and mature a novel, ground-breaking technology for high precision non-ionizing metabolic imaging, enabling fast and non-invasive detection of the markers of metabolic processes e.g. cell proliferation and energy metabolism. Using the results of metabolic imaging, medical specialists will be able to establish the effectiveness of therapies and determine the specific disease months sooner than is possible with currently available technologies.
Objectives:
1. Further develop the basic double tuned metabolic imaging concept for usage on 7T MRI platforms. This concerns the development of demonstrators consisting of hardware components, the integrated system, and the specialised processing software, standardized phantoms and pulse sequences.
2. Broaden the potential technological applications by developing a testing model and testing a quadruple tuned imaging set for 7T MRI scanners (Philips). With this, we will be able to measure in parallel three groups of metabolic biomarkers: phosphorus (31P), sodium (23Na), and deuterium (2H).
3. Validate the capability of the technology to map and visualize relevant metabolic processes with four clinical use cases: lung tumours, heart disease, muscle disorders, and quadruple tuned feasibility evaluation of liver
metastases. We will carry out small clinical studies to show the benefit of the application of metabolic MRI in each of these use cases.
4. Develop the business case, business model and further exploitation and commercialisation plan for MITI
The MITI partners aim to commercialize the technology, by providing it to clinicians in research centres and within 3 years after MITI to general medical centres. At present, more than 100 7T MRI machines have been installed worldwide, all embedded in (clinical) research environments. With an expected increase in sales-rate of 7T MRIs, the manufacturing capacity is likely the limiting factor on up-scaling for the foreseeable future. In MITI, 100% of the highfield MRI vendors are involved and engaged, bringing awareness of the potential and possibilities of metabolic MRI worldwide.
The specific impact areas are:
1. Increase in business generated for MRI manufacturers (by increasing the usefulness of and therefore demand for the 7T MRI machine) and pharmaceutical companies (by enabling better mechanisms for drug development and discovery
2. Metabolic MRI in the clinic will improve and speed up diagnosis of diseases and the evaluation of therapies, resulting in therapies better suited to patients and less unnecessary side effects from ineffective treatment.
3. Reduce healthcare costs by stopping ineffective treatment earlier and by speeding up recovery times
4. Establishes the basis for a new research area: the study of human biochemistry using non-invasive biochemical imaging
