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Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center

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Seeing double: OMRF adds second research MRI

Yasvir A. Tesiram, Ph.D. Assistant Member, Advanced Magnetic Resonance Center

Research Interests
A major focus of my research is the development of new magnetic resonance (MR) methods for the assessment of disease and disease processes. However, unlike existing MR methods, these new methods take advantage of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon allowing for detection of unique signals beyond conventional technique and interpretation. In vivo, these novel contrast mechanisms arise from molecular interaction almost always with the most abundant small molecule in the body – i.e. water. When in a unique interaction (i.e. aside from the usual T1, T2 relaxation and diffusion methods), the signal from these water molecules is modulated by information from its surrounding environment. To arrive at suitable methods for disseminating these signals from noise our approach has been to theoretically characterize and then experimentally verify the expectation of observing these signals. For example, in visualizing brain tumors a promising method of detection without the use of contrast agents is quantum imaging. Our recent research in this area suggests that there are numerous signal modulation functions that are able to delineate not only brain from tumor, but tumor boundaries from necrotic and hemorrhagic tissue. Research continues as to the origin of these signals and whether they can be used to asses tumor grades.

Our lab is also researching the possibility of detecting known protein species in vivo using a uniformly stable isotope enriched protein from Bacillus anthracis. It is well known that three proteins from these bacteria, namely protective antigen PA, adema factor and lethal factor (LF), combine in the host to cause what we know as “anthrax”. But their exact localization point, especially that of PA, is not known. We are currently developing methods for the detection of this protein in vivo, in the hope that understanding tissue localization may help in identifying logical paths for treatment and intervention before, during or after exposure.

Another project in my laboratory is dedicated to developing new in vivo NMR methods for detection and quantitation of lipid metabolites in liver cancer. The current state of spectroscopy in vivo is reduced to using one of two methods called PRESS or STEAM for detecting only a handful of metabolites that are of little use in diagnoses of specific diseases or of specific molecular pathways such as the fatty acid metabolism pathway. We have found that it is possible to arrive at suitable RF pulse sequence programs that allow the unequivocal detection of several species of fatty acids and related compounds using NMR methods. Work is currently underway to translate these high resolution NMR methods to in vivo methods.

Joined OMRF Scientific Staff in 2003.

Mailing Address
Free Radical Biology and Aging Research Program, MS 21
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

Contact Information
Phone: (405) 271-7124
Fax: (405) 271-1795
E-mail: Yasvir-Tesiram@omrf.org