FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alameda, CA April 1, 2024 – The University of California at Berkeley, in collaboration with Magnetic Insight, have been awarded an NIH U01 grant to dramatically improve Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) spatial resolution and accelerate imaging applications for CAR-T cell therapies, stroke, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeds, and pulmonary embolisms.
UC Berkeley Bioengineering, MSE, and EECS faculty, postdocs and students are collaborating with Magnetic Insight to pioneer MPI, a new diagnostic and monitoring imaging technology. Their collaborative research promises to enhance the accuracy, speed, and safety of diagnostic imaging, potentially revolutionizing the way to detect and monitor various medical conditions.
MPI is an innovative tracer imaging technology that offers the sensitivity of nuclear medicine without the use of nuclear tracers. Unlike traditional methods, MPI uses zero radiation and provides highly detailed images, allowing for rapid and personalized patient care.
This collaborative project will be led jointly by UC Berkeley’s Professor Steven Conolly, Dr. Patrick Goodwill and Dr. Benjamin Fellows from Magnetic Insight, and MSE, Bioengineering Professor Phillip Messersmith and EECS Professor Greg Tikhomirov from UC Berkeley. A recent BS-level graduate of UC Berkeley Bioengineering, Jacob Bryan, played a significant role in synthesizing SFMIO tracers at Cal. Jacob is now in the MSE PhD program at Stanford University, supported on a prestigious three-year Stanford Graduate Fellowship.
Dr. Conolly is a professor of Bioengineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley. He specializes in medical imaging and biosensing hardware, with a focus on MPI and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
“The goal of this work is to develop a breakthrough platform of MPI superferromagnetic tracers that dramatically improve MPI spatial resolution,” says Conolly. “By improving the spatial resolution of MPI tenfold in each dimension, we believe we can provide unprecedented diagnostic capabilities.”
This advancement in MPI technology opens doors to a wide range of applications for a variety of medical conditions. With the use of high-resolution MPI tracers, patients could soon benefit from diagnostics with increased sensitivity at a remarkable resolution, all the while using a safe and affordable human MPI scanner.
Magnetic Insight is a leading manufacturer of MPI scanners worldwide. Magnetic Insight MPI scanners have been installed at Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Michigan State University, Robarts Institute, and the University of Florida to name a few.
The implications of this innovation are profound, and the potential to save lives and improve patient care is substantial. As researchers work towards making the new tracers biocompatible, they bring us one step closer to a future where medical imaging is not only highly sensitive but also more accessible and cost-effective.
The research reported in this press release is supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering under project number 1U01EB034694-01.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
About Magnetic Insight: Magnetic Insight is a leading provider of innovative Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) technology. With a focus on advancing medical research and treatments, Magnetic Insight’s groundbreaking solutions, such as the MOMENTUM system and VivoTrax, are at the forefront of MPI, offering new possibilities for cancer treatment and various medical applications. For more information, please visit www.magneticinsight.com.
