Description

Perturbations of metabolism are increasingly recognized as essential factors in the development of a wide range of diseases covering various domains of neuromedicine (ischemic and neurodegenerative diseases), oncology (tumour proliferation and cachexia), immunology (inflammatory disorders) and classical metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease).

Underlying pathophysiological processes are reflected by activated or deactivated pathways resulting in changes of metabolite concentrations. Metabolic imaging uses techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy to detect and quantify the metabolites, thereby providing a unique perspective to assist disease diagnosis, evaluate prognosis, and monitor treatment effectiveness.

In an interdisciplinary approach, we apply state-of-the art and novel metabolic imaging approaches in translational research projects. Main tools besides standard MRI methods include single voxel MR spectroscopy in multiple organs combined with optimized data evaluation methods for most accurate and robust metabolite quantification and MR spectroscopic imaging or chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for metabolite mapping. Depending on the target metabolites, nuclei other than protons are used for quantification, including deuterium, carbon-13 and phosphorous. We combine measurements with the application of stable isotopes, metabolic modelling and data science.