Complete Separation of Extra- And Intracellular Hyperpolarized 13C Metabolite Signal with Diffusion Weighted MR

Bertram L. Koelsch¹, Kayvan R. Keshari², Tom H. Peeters², Peder E.Z. Larson, ¹², David M. Wilson², John Kurhanewicz, ¹²

Most commonly employed proton diffusion weighting MR techniques cannot measure rapid (sub-minute) changes in molecular motion and thus are limited in monitoring these highly dynamic processes. We previously combined diffusion weighting and hyperpolarized 13C techniques to rapidly (second) measure the translational motion of hyperpolarized metabolites. By exploiting the difference in extra- and intracellular molecular translational motion, we extend hyperpolarized 13C diffusion weighted MR to measure total and intracellular metabolite pools. The translation of this methodology can allow for the non-invasive assessment of intra and extracellular metabolite pools on the order of their generation.