Latest Trends: Xenon MRI Contrast Agents—A New Horizon in Molecular Imaging, Xe-129
Latest Trends: Xenon MRI Contrast Agents—A New Horizon in Molecular Imaging Introduction Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that provides high-resolution soft tissue images without radiation exposure, making it a diagnostic tool that ensures both accuracy and patient safety. However, MRI has relatively lower sensitivity compared to CT or PET, particularly when detecting pathological changes at the molecular level, where higher sensitivity is essential. To overcome this limitation, various MRI contrast agents have been developed. Among them, contrast agents utilizing hyperpolarized xenon gas (¹²⁹Xe) have emerged as a revolutionary tool in molecular imaging. Xenon is an inert gas with high biological safety and has the advantage of achieving signal amplification thousands of times greater than conventional MRI through advanced hyperpolarization techniques. This article explores the scientific principles of xenon MRI contrast agents, hyperpolarization...