UA researchers image the future, one MRI at a time

August 6, 2009

By hammersmith

[Source: Tucson Weekly] – With every step science takes toward reliable cancer treatment, science also takes a step back: For every possible solution, there is always a catch. For every group of patients that sees results from an experimental treatment, many more see nothing.

However, a new concept—called personalized medicine—has patients finding hope and researchers getting excited. Some of the most important work on the subject is happening right here in Tucson, at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Mark Pagel and his CAMEL (Contrast Agent Molecular Engineering Lab) crew, armed with 10 colors of tape, are out to make the world a better place, one MRI at a time. They are currently working on an imaging method through which chemical agents indicate certain aspects of a patient’s cancer that are then detected by MRI; that information is then used to select and direct the course of treatment for that patient.

For more information: Imaging the Future