Non-invasive measurement and imaging of hepatic iron concentrations using nuclear magnetic resonance [ 2002 - 2004 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Timothy St Pierre (Principal investigator) ,  Dr Wanida Chua-Anusorn ,  Prof Gary Jeffrey ,  Prof John Olynyk

Brief description Iron overload diseases such as genetic haemochromatosis and thalassaemia affect up to 0.5% of the world's population. These diseases result in deposition of dangerously high concentrations of iron in tissues of the body. Organs such as the liver and heart are at particular risk of being damaged. In order to manage a patient's condition optimally, a knowledge of their tissue iron concentrations is required. Currently the most direct and reliable way of achieving this is to remove a small sample of the patient's liver for chemical analysis. Apart from the fact that the procedure is unpleasant and carries some risk, the measurement made by this method has some uncertainty because the liver iron concentration can vary significantly from place to place within the liver. The aim of this project is to test the validity of a new non-invasive method of measuring and imaging the liver iron concentrations of a patient. In addition, the potential to use the new technology for detecting and imaging liver cirrhosis in iron overloaded patients will be evaluated. If successful, the project may lead to a more accurate method of measuring tissue iron concentrations and eliminate the need for invasive procedures.

Funding Amount $AUD 341,210.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Development Grants

Notes Development Grant