News Releases & Research Results Development of the world's first quantum sensors to detect “oxidative stress” - Preemptive medicine for preventing lifestyle-related diseases and inflammation using optical imaging and MRI -

The results of the international collaborative research and development project conducted by Senior Researcher Rumiana Bakalova, Group Leader Ichio Aoki, and Director Tatsuya Higashi of the Department of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Quantum Medical Science Directorate, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Sofia University and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria.

• By combining high-intensity fluorescent quantum dots and an MRI contrast agent, quantum sensors were successfully developed for the first time in the world to visualize oxidative stress in the body due to lifestyle-related diseases and inflammation.
• Specifically, a blood test with high-intensity fluorescent quantum dots allows simple observation of oxidative stress. If strong oxidative stress is detected by this test, its occurrence site can be identified systemically by MRI.
• The results of this R&D project should promote future preemptive medicine for preventive intervention before the onset of lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer, dementia, and diabetes.

This project was conducted with the support of the Project for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) by AMED.

The results were published online in the academic journal Analytical Chemistry (American Chemical Society) on January 28.

Dessislava Lazarova, et al. Quantum sensors to track total redox-status and oxidative stress in cells and tissues using EPR, MRI and optical imaging Analytical Chemistry
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04116