Ischemic stroke is a devastating disease and a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Thrombolysis of cerebral blood clots with tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-Pa) is the only evidence-based medical treatment for stroke. Despite 20 years of experience with rt-PA, fifty percent of treated patients remain disabled for life. A narrow therapeutic time window, insufficient thrombolysis rates, serious side effects of this therapy, and time-consuming imaging techniques decrease the efficacy of stroke treatment. MAGneTISe aims to develop a new two-pronged approach by combining therapy and monitoring of stroke patients with Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI). This new imaging technique enables the rapid assessment of cerebral perfusion (Real-time MPI), as well as the steering of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) by magnetic fields (Force-MPI). We will develop strategies for continuous bedside cerebral perfusion monitoring by using red blood cells (RBC) as a biomimetic tracer-delivery system for the SPIOs, which otherwise would be quickly eliminated. This method will enable the rapid diagnosis of stroke or bleeding and facilitate faster treatment and better patient outcomes. Additionally, we will couple therapeutics, such as rt-PA, with SPIOs. Using the magnetic fields of the MPI system, we will trap the coupled nanoparticles in the occluded vessel. Through this approach, we will locally increase the amount of active enzyme, resulting in an increased rate of successful revascularization while decreasing systemic side effects. We expect that MPI has the potential to substantially improve stroke therapy and the benefits of nanomedicine by combining targeted therapies with ultrafast imaging.

In this project, we will develop and use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods which allow to non-intrusively quantify a variety of process variables at high spatial and temporal resolution. The measured variables include the spatial distribution, the velocity, the temperature, and the chemical composition of the phases in the reactor, as well as the pore size distribution and diffusion properties of gels. In numerous collaborations within the CRC, these MRI methods are applied to characterise the material and system components of SMART reactors. The experiments of this project are mainly carried out on a globally unique large-scale vertical MRI system located at the TUHH.