The Wilson laboratory is developing hyperpolarized 13C probes that are critical in advancing and understanding dynamic nuclear polarization- nuclear magnetic resonance (DNP-NMR) technology. For example, modification of substrates by hyperpolarized [1,1’-13C2] acetic anhydride demonstrated the transfer of hyperpolarization by chemical means, while study of molecular interactions in solution used a 13C benzoate/ cyclodextrin model system. We are currently investigating hyperpolarized 13C probes with an analyte-dependent chemical shift for studying microenvironments in vivo. The application of hyperpolarized 13C MRS to numerous molecular imaging strategies is being pursued.
