Iridium catalysts are playing a crucial role in a new method of transferring magnetic spin which has drastically improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Technology Review reported on Friday (27th March).

The process enables the magnetisation of molecules like nicotine - or organic variants such as antibodies, which are designed to bind to tumours - thus allowing them to be used as contrast agents.

Researchers at the University of York conducted tests which involved cooling a form of molecular hydrogen known as parahydrogen, due to its highly ordered magnetic spin state.

The iridium catalyst was then used to transfer the magnetic spin to other major elements such as oxygen, nitrogen and carbon, creating marker molecules which are significantly more visible in MRI scans.

According to Ian Greer, head of Hull York Medical School, the new technique could "bring benefits to diagnosis and treatment of virtually every area of medicine", while also allowing MRI scans to be obtained quicker and cheaper.

The findings, which are published in the journal Science, are particularly important as the latest contrast agents - which are used in scans help view internal body regions - could improve visibility by up to 1,000 times.

Gary Green, a member of the research team and Director of the York Neuroimaging Centre, told the news provider: "For example, you might use the technique to polarise the molecule that you know will stick to a brain tumour to see what's happening with an MRI scan. Currently MRI is not sensitive enough to do this."

However, some critics have suggested that the process may not be as efficient as Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP), a technique which uses electrons to transfer spin and has been under observation in the US.

Kevin Brindle, a scientist at the University of Cambridge who is working on DNP, told the news provider: "They'll need to do ten times as much again to match the polarisation you get with DNP.

"They say in the paper they can do this. Let's wait and see."

Source:

Magnetic Spin to Revolutionize Medical Scanning (27/03/09)
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22352/