MRI: Glucose Metabolism Without Radioactive Tracers

Metabolic dysfunction plays a critical role in a variety of conditions including:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Cancer

Until recently, medical professionals relied on PET imaging with radiolabeled glucose tracers to study brain glucose metabolism. However, researchers at MedUni Vienna have developed a revolutionary MRI-based method that captures glucose metabolism without exposing patients to radioactive tracers.

Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, this new imaging technique uses a harmless glucose solution, offering a safer, more accessible diagnostic tool for clinicians.

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In this study, researchers monitored blood glucose levels and metabolic activity in healthy volunteers over a 90-minute period using standard MRI scanners. Key features of the method include:

• • No radioactive materials
  • Safe glucose solution used intravenously
  • No extra hardware required
  • Works on standard 3-Tesla MRI systems

Unlike PET scans, which require radiolabeled tracers, this technique avoids radiation exposure, making it more patient-friendly — especially for longitudinal studies or vulnerable populations.

The innovation was tested on Austria’s only 7-Tesla MRI and validated on more commonly available 3-Tesla systems. According to lead author Fabian Niess, this brings the technique one step closer to widespread clinical adoption:

“This is a major step toward making non-invasive brain glucose metabolism imaging more practical and widespread.”

This radiation-free metabolic imaging method opens new diagnostic pathways for:

• Oncology – Detect tumors based on their elevated glucose uptake, without radioactive tracers
• Neurology – Assess early-stage Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and cognitive decline linked to glucose dysfunction
• Endocrinology – Monitor metabolic conditions like diabetes or metabolic syndrome with greater safety

As the technique matures, it may become standard in both research and clinical applications — providing a safer alternative to traditional PET scans for metabolic evaluation.

Sources:
MedUni Vienna – Medical University of Vienna
Imaging Technology News – Pioneering MRI Imaging Method Captures Brain Glucose Metabolism

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