The global obesity epidemic has resulted in a dramatic rise in metabolic diseases and the development of effective therapies has greatly lagged behind. This could arguably be attributed to a lack of non-invasive (imaging) techniques to characterize disturbances in metabolic pathways. We will investigate the use of dynamic deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI) to dynamically map body biochemistry in humans in 3D imaging mode. DMI relies on deuterium magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging combined with oral administration of deuterium-labeled compounds. The innovation idea is linked to the MCUBE project of FET-OPEN-01-2016-2017. Here a dual-dipole coil was designed for hydrogen MRI at 7 tesla (300 MHz), which outperformed the state-of-the-art setup of the loop-dipole coil for MRI. The new design is transparent to loop designs, meaning that the setup can be combined with loop coils, which are known to be the optimal setup for low frequency operation. So for DMI, which operates at 45.7 MHz (low frequency) at 7 tesla, an MRI coil array can be designed that not only outperforms MRI, but also enables DMI at uncompromised sensitivity within the same scan session, which will complement the utilization of the MCUBE project. The objectives of the project are: (1) Build and test a body DMI setup for a clinical ultra-high field 7 tesla MRI scanner; (2) demonstrate proof of concept to measure hepatic carbohydrate and lipid metabolism with DMI; and (3) apply DMI in a clinical feasibility study in type 2 diabetes patients. Upon successful completion of the project, DMI will be valorized by the commercial partners and embedded in clinical practice, which opens up a new window for drug studies to directly image their chemical efficacy. Besides its application in metabolic diseases, DMI has potential to detect organ failure, drug toxicity and effects of cancer treatment in a much earlier stage than morphological imaging.

The NICI project’s ambition is to lay the foundations of a new area of research: the study of human biology using non-invasive chemistry imaging. For this, NICI aims to unite two areas of research: metabolomics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Metabolomics studies body functions through the measurement of metabolites; MRI, is able to provide 3D images of the body. By advancing MRI so that it can detect metabolic biomarkers and by discovering powerful new MRI-visible biomarkers, a non-invasive technology can be developed for dynamically mapping biochemical processes in the whole human body. Vision: This new non-invasive technology for imaging biochemical processes in the human body will open a new and effective window for understanding human biology, diseases and their treatment. Breakthroughs: I. Methodology for the discovery of discriminative biomarkers and II. Technological platform for full body biochemical imaging. Novelty: Enabling a paradigm shift from morphologic imaging to biochemical understanding. Foundational: Establishing the basis for a new research area, the study of human biochemistry using non-invasive biochemical imaging. High-risk: i) The exact mechanisms of diseases are largely unknown and ii) Measuring specific metabolites is challenging. Interdisciplinary: Bringing together physicists, biologists, chemists and clinicians. The NICI project will develop a new methodology for the in vitro discovery of discriminant biomarkers using co-cultured 3D organoids as models for human organs. In addition, the project will develop a measurement platform, integrated with 7T MRI scanners and associated data acquisition approaches to adapt these MRI scanners into 3D biochemical imaging systems. NICI will validate the dynamic 3D chemical imaging approach and its predictive and prognostic value by researching a stratification strategy for patients with liver metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer. (This is one out of many possible applications.)

M-Cube aims at changing the paradigm of High-Field MRI and Ultra High-Field antennas to offer a much better insight on the human body and enable earlier detection of diseases. Our main objective is to go beyond the limits of MRI clinical imaging and radically improve spatial and temporal resolutions. The clinical use of High-field MRI scanners is drastically limited due to the lack of homogeneity and to the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the Radio Frequency (RF) fields associated with the magnetic resonance. The major way to tackle and solve these problems consists in increasing the number of active RF antennas, leading to complex and expensive solutions. M-Cube solution relies on innovative systems based upon passive metamaterial structures to avoid multiple active elements. These systems are expected to make High-Field MRI fully diagnostically relevant for physicians. To achieve these expectations, M-Cube consortium will develop a disruptive metamaterial antenna technology. This we will able us to tackle both the lack of homogeneity and SAR barriers. Metamaterials are composite structured manmade materials designed to produce effective properties unavailable in nature (e.g. negative optical index). They allow us to tailor electromagnetic waves at will. Thus, the scientifically ambitious idea is to develop antennas based on this unique ability for whole body coil. This technological breakthrough will be validated by preclinical and clinical tests with healthy volunteers. M-Cube gathers an interdisciplinary consortium composed of academic leaders in the field, eight universities, and two promising SMEs. Physicists, medical doctors and industrial actors will work closely all along the implementation of the project to guarantee the success this novel approach, a “patient-centered” solution which will pave the way for a more accurate diagnosis in the context of personalized medicine and will enable to detect a disease much earlier that is currently possible.

INSPiRE-MED will provide research and training to 15 early career researchers in the field of medical imaging, specifically Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI), combined with MR Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography (PET). INSPiRE-MED Fellows will acquire skills to develop careers contributing to innovative technological advances in medical imaging in a multi-disciplinary environment encompassing physics, mathematical and computer sciences leading to applications in medicine and biological sciences. The 12 academic and 9 industrial partners will provide the Fellows with transferable and generic skills as well as a comprehensive, wide-ranging education on the basic principles of medical imaging and image analysis. This fundamental knowledge will be combined with in-depth learning in a specific area, through local delivery via graduate schools, programme-wide INSPiRE-MED training activities and workshops and personal academic supervision by two INSPiRE-MED supervisors. This will enable them to successfully participate in developing new tools for clinicians. MRS is a unique, non-invasive molecular technique that has proved useful for diagnosis and therapy management in disease models and patients. Despite its potential, the clinical uptake of MRS has lagged behind that of MRI and PET. Thus, INSPiRE-MED will have 3 objectives, encapsulated in 3 research Work Packages (WP): 1) Development of novel acquisition and processing techniques allowing MRS(I) to become a key tool in medical imaging (WP1); 2) Integration of innovative MRS(I) techniques in several key clinical and pre-clinical applications including a multimodal metabolic approach based on MR/PET (WP2); 3) Translation of most advanced research in MRS(I) and machine learning into clinical routine by means of a fully automatic software suite, building on the well-known jMRUI package (http://www.jmrui.eu) to provide a prime tool in personalized medicine (WP 3).