Provincial Funds of $1M Support R+D Platform to Revolutionize Non-Invasive Imaging - Xenon polarizer will help move HP gas MRI from bench to market
Today, the Province of Ontario announced $1M in funding to support
and advance the work of Dr. Mitchell Albert, recently recruited scientist at
the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI) and Research Chair and
Professor of Chemistry at Lakehead University.
Dr. Albert is an experienced innovator who has co-invented a
powerful new diagnostic technology " hyperpolarized (HP) gas MRI. Dr. Albert
and his team are taking this breakthrough method to the next level by
developing new technology that will improve imaging for asthma, COPD, cystic
fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, lung and breast cancer, stroke, atherosclerosis,
and diseases of the brain.
The $1M in funding assistance will offset the cost of establishing a platform to conduct R+D in HP gas MRI, specifically the purchase of a state-of-the-art xenon polarizer to advance research and commercialize products such as smaller scale HP gas MRI products for broad distribution world-wide. A xenon polarizer uses the process of hyperpolarization to manipulate xenon gas atoms to enhance the MRI signal by 100,000 times to produce images that delineate, in great detail and clarity, physiological changes occurring in body tissue, including the lungs and brain, which have traditionally resisted conventional MRI. HP gas MRI is non-invasive, avoids the use of ionizing radiation, and is tremendously valuable to medical science.
HP gas MRI technology is currently used in research labs, but existing MRI scanners can easily be adjusted to image xenon and helium, making this technology readily and widely available. The potential medical and economic impacts of HP gas MRI are immense.
"Ontario stands behind its researchers," says Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle. "The government of Ontario has contributed $1M to help build an R+D platform for Dr. Albert and his team to develop his new technology, translate his ideas to clinical trials, and ultimately, commercialize the technology for use in Canada and world-wide."
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro agrees. "Dr. Mitch Albert and his team are the top scientists in the world in their field. And where better to develop and market this technology than NWO where we have an exceptionally high burden of lung disease. It's good for the people of our region, it's good for the economy, and it's good for Ontario."
"The success of Dr. Mitch Albert and his research team is testimony to the value of the Collaborative Health Research Partnership (CHRP) between TBRRI and Lakehead University," says Dr. Rui Wang, Lakehead University's Vice President of Research, Economic Development, and Innovation. "We need more Mitch Alberts to strengthen the CHRP and to advance health research at TBRRI and Lakehead."
Attracting
a world-class scientist like Dr. Mitch Albert to Ontario will further advance
knowledge and treatment of lung diseases including asthma, COPD, and cystic
fibrosis. Local respirologist Dr. Birubi Biman is enthusiastic about the future
prospects this research offers for her patients, "HP gas MRI can produce
high-quality images that reveal physiological processes that we couldn't see
before. This will be a great help in testing and evaluating new treatments."
The
team led by Dr. Mitchell Albert collaborates with three of the top 10
scientists in the world in HP gas MRI. While several locations are performing
excellent research " Universities of Virginia and Wisconsin (US), University of
Sheffield (UK), University of Mainz (Germany), and others " no region in the
world is as fortunate as Ontario to host such a concentration of scientific
excellence.
"TBRRI, together with partners like Lakehead University, is growing the capability to conduct leading-edge medical imaging research," says TBRRI CEO Michael Power. "The province's continued support allows us to move closer to commercializing technologies like HP gas MRI, that will benefit patients and fuel our growing bio-medical economy."
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Thunder
Bay Regional Research Institute is an independent, not-for-profit research
corporation partnered closely with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
Scientists and clinicians work together with academic and industry partners to
bring advanced diagnostic technology to our patients. TBRRI strives to improve
the quality of patient-centred healthcare by advancing new standards of
excellence in the clinical investigation of novel molecular imaging-based
diagnostic technologies. www.tbrri.com
Lakehead
University is
a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching
approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical
thinking. More than 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work
at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the
west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University
promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic
needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more
information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Janine
Chiasson Communications
Thunder
Bay Regional Research Institute
t:
807-684-7239
chiassoj@tbh.net