Phosphoric acid-enhanced detection may improve the identification of cancer cells through magnetic resonance imaging. This development was announced by the RNF press service.
An MRI scanner creates three-dimensional images of the body’s internal structure. Yet it cannot detect every molecule. Only atoms with non-zero spin can alter their state under the device’s magnetic field, and these changes form the image. In practice, the signal most often maps the distribution of water, the body’s most abundant substance. When the core of a molecule changes state, the resulting signal becomes brighter, helping to highlight abnormal regions. This means that, alongside water, signals from phosphorus-containing compounds can be monitored. If phosphorus accumulates in cancer cells, the tumor may become visible earlier than with water-based imaging alone.
Researchers from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, together with colleagues from other universities, explored methods to increase contrast in phosphorus detection by using a form of hydrogen known as parahydrogen. This variant differs from ordinary hydrogen in its magnetic properties: the spins are arranged in two opposite directions, unlike the single-direction spin found in conventional hydrogen. Parahydrogen does not emit a detectable signal by itself in magnetic resonance studies, but when it binds to another compound, the signal can be amplified dramatically through a process called hyperpolarization, often by hundreds or even thousands of times.
The team then added parahydrogen to a derivative of phosphoric acid and transferred the hyperpolarization to the phosphorus-containing part of the molecule. Through interaction with water, a hydrolysis reaction occurs, yielding a purified hyperpolarized phosphate fragment that remains ubiquitous in cells. This higher concentration of hyperpolarized phosphorus compounds, once injected into the bloodstream, could significantly boost the MRI response across phosphorus-containing molecules, aiding early cancer diagnosis. The scientists are now addressing the final step of the reaction, which involves eliminating the inorganic phosphate so the compound can be safely introduced into the body. Once this hurdle is cleared, the approach could move toward clinical testing.
Such advances promise a new dimension in cancer imaging, offering a pathway to detect malignant changes earlier and with greater specificity. The ongoing work emphasizes the potential to combine advanced chemical strategies with state-of-the-art imaging to create clearer, more informative scans. While the practical deployment of this method awaits further validation and safety assessments, the conceptual framework lays a solid foundation for future diagnostic tools that leverage the unique behavior of phosphorus under hyperpolarized conditions.
Ancient biologists explored artificial fat for experimental tissue models in test tubes, an early curiosity that paved the way for modern inquiries into cellular processes and imaging enhancements. Today, researchers continue to translate those scientific impulses into techniques that could transform how diseases are detected and monitored, with phosphorus-based contrast as one of the promising avenues still under investigation.