Spectrally Resolved Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the XenonBiosensor

Due to its ability to non-invasively record images, as well as elucidate molecular structure, nuclear magnetic resonance is the method of choice for applications as widespread as chemical analysis and medical diagnostics. Its detection threshold is, however, limited by the small polarization of nuclear spins in even the highest available magnetic fields. This limitation can, under certain circumstances, be alleviated by using hyper-polarized substances. Xenon biosensors make use of the sensitivity gain of hyperpolarized xenon to provide magnetic resonance detection capability for a specific low-concentration target. They consist of a cryptophane cage, which binds one xenon atom, and which has been connected via a linker to a targeting moiety such as a ligand or antibody. Recent work has shown the possibility of using the xenon biosensor to detect small amounts of a substance in a heterogeneous environment by NMR. Here, we demonstrate that magnetic resonance (MR) provides the capability to obtain spectrally and spatially resolved images of the distribution of immobilized biosensor, opening the possibility for using the xenon biosensor for targeted imaging