[Status and perspectives of molecular imaging with high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance]

The combination of high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with MR imaging methods (e.g., phase-encoding gradients in two or three spatial directions or oscillating frequency-encoding gradients) for the purpose of chemical-shift imaging or spectroscopic imaging (SI) permits the acquisition of molecular images of the human body non-invasively and in vivo. These data show the distribution of specific intracellular metabolites of low molecular mass and high mobility e. g., cholines or high-energy phosphates, within a tissue region or a whole organ. Molecular imaging in whole-body MR tomographs has employed so far the spin-tracer nuclei 1H, 13C, 19F and 31P. To this end, 1H-SI of the human brain and prostate has already achieved a significant clinical value.