MIT bioengineers have developed new MRI sensors called LisNRs (liposomal nanoparticle reporters) that can brighten or dim MRI signals in response to specific molecular targets. By packaging gadolinium contrast agents inside nanoparticles with target-responsive water channels, a single target molecule can activate many contrast agents at once, achieving roughly tenfold greater sensitivity than conventional one-to-one sensing approaches. Tested in living rats to detect biotin, the sensors can be delivered systemically and spread throughout the brain, making them promising for whole-brain imaging of neurochemicals like dopamine and glutamate.
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