Wuhan, Hubei

Zhou Xin, deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics (WIPM) of Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced the institute's scientific breakthrough on Monday in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

Compared with the traditional computed tomography (CT) which is invasive and can involve radiation, the new method can image lung ventilation defects without harm to the body, providing some of the most advanced imaging technology for early pulmonary diseases.

WIPM is one of a few institutes worldwide that uses gas to improve MRIs.

The researchers, cooperating with the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, are the only institute nationwide working on a hyperpolarized lung MRI, which aims to "brighten the lungs". Hyperpolarized imaging can provide detailed images of gas exchange in the lungs, which can be used for pre-clinical research on severe pulmonary diseases.

 "This study aimed to provide new insights into the mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invasion by simultaneously imaging tumor cells and major components of the tumor microenvironment.