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Study: Multicolor MRIs may improve disease detection

By Amy Wallace

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Case Western Reserve University researchers have developed a new method to make magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, multicolor to improve disease detection.

"The method we developed enables, for the first time, the simultaneous detection of two different MRI contrast agents," Chris Flask, associate professor of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Pediatrics, and director of the Imaging Resource Core at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, said in a news release.

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"This multi-agent detection capability has the potential to transform molecular imaging, as it provides a critical translational pathway for studies in patients."

The study, published today in Scientific Reports, used two contrast agents, gadolinium and manganese, simultaneously injected into a patient's vein to make MRI results more vivid and clear.

Current MRI techniques use only a single contrast agent to detect disease or damage in a patient undergoing MRI analysis.

The new technique would allow doctors to chart multiple characteristics of a patient's internal organs in just one MRI test, which may lead to better disease diagnosis.

"In this initial paper, we validated our new methodology, opening the possibility for numerous follow-on application studies in cancer, genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes," Flask said.

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