Metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hyperpolarized (HP) pyruvate is becoming a non‐invasive technique for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring response to treatment in cancer and other diseases. The clinically established method for producing HP pyruvate, dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization, however, is rather complex and slow. Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) is an ultra‐fast and low‐cost method based on fast chemical exchange. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate not only in vivo utility, but also metabolic MRI with SABRE. We present a novel routine to produce aqueous HP [1‐¹³C]pyruvate‐d₃ for injection in 6 minutes. The injected solution was sterile, non‐toxic, pH neutral and contained ≈30 mM [1‐¹³C]pyruvate‐d₃ polarized to ≈11 % (residual 250 mM methanol and 20 μM catalyst). It was obtained by rapid solvent evaporation and metal filtering, which we detail in this manuscript. This achievement makes HP pyruvate MRI available to a wide biomedical community for fast metabolic imaging of living organisms.

Hyperpolarization techniques increase nuclear spin polarization by more than four orders of magnitude, enabling metabolic MRI. Even though hyperpolarization has shown clear value in clinical studies, the complexity, cost and slowness of current equipment limits its widespread use. Here, a polarization procedure of [1‐¹³C]pyruvate based on parahydrogen‐induced polarization by side‐arm hydrogenation (PHIP‐SAH) in an automated polarizer is demonstrated. It is benchmarked in a study with 48 animals against a commercial dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (d‐DNP) device. Purified, concentrated (≈70–160 mM) and highly hyperpolarized (≈18%) solutions of pyruvate are obtained at physiological pH for volumes up to 2 mL within 85 s in an automated process. The safety profile, image quality, as well as the quantitative perfusion and lactate‐to‐pyruvate ratios, are equivalent for PHIP and d‐DNP, rendering PHIP a viable alternative to established hyperpolarization techniques.

Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging (HP‐MRI) has emerged as a powerful tool in molecular imaging, providing in vivo, real‐time insights into metabolic pathways without ionizing radiation. Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange (SABRE) represents a promising hyperpolarization technique, leveraging parahydrogen to enhance MRI signals. In this concept, we delineate the evolution of SABRE and landmark papers that have enabled us recently to produce biocompatible and low‐cost hyperpolarized pyruvate within minutes for in vivo metabolic imaging, showcasing SABRE′s potential for preclinical and near‐future clinical settings. Looking ahead, with ongoing efforts focused on optimizing polarizer technology and expanding applications beyond pyruvate, we envision SABRE as a key player in the research and application of HP‐MRI due to its simplicity and throughput.

Metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hyperpolarized (HP) pyruvate has shown promise as a non-invasive technique for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring response to treatment in cancer and other diseases. The clinically established method for producing HP pyruvate is dynamic nuclear polarization; however, it is rather expensive and slow. Here, we demonstrate fast (6 min), low-cost production of HP [1-13C]pyruvate-d3 in aqueous solution using Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE), and in vivo metabolic MRI. The injected solution was sterile, non-toxic, pH neutral and contained ≈30 mM [1-13C]pyruvate-d3 polarized to ≈11% (residual 250 mM methanol and 20 µM catalyst). It was obtained by rapid solvent evaporation and metal filtering. The procedure was well tolerated by all four mice studied here. This achievement is a significant step of making HP MRI available to a wider community. Fast, low-cost, and high-throughput parahydrogen-hyperpolarization has become a viable alternative for metabolic MRI of living organisms.

Background/Objectives: Accurate absorbed dose estimation is essential for optimising targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, where kidney toxicity is dose-limiting. [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 is a novel PSMA-targeted radioligand with favourable tumour-to-kidney uptake ratios; however, inter-patient pharmacokinetic variability can lead to differences in organ and tumour absorbed doses under fixed-activity administration. Personalised dosimetry offers a means to address this variability. This work aims to create mouse PBPK model-based digital twins for [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 to test the model’s resistance to noise and evaluate its impact on accuracy and absorbed dose calculations. Methods: Five CB-17 SCID mice bearing LNCaP tumour xenografts received 2.6–3.1 MBq [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-rhPSMA-10.1 intravenously. Biodistribution was assessed 24 h post-injection by organ weighing and gamma counting. The PBPK model, implemented in MATLAB SimBiology (R2023a), was fitted to individual biodistribution data using mouse-specific physiological parameters. Digital twins—combining the model with fitted parameters—were used to generate time–activity curves (TACs) for kidneys, tumours, and the whole body. Gaussian noise ($\sigma$ = 0–0.35) was added to TACs to simulate measurement error. The model was refitted, and absorbed doses from time-integrated activities (TIAs) were compared to digital twin references. Results: The digital twin approach reproduced experimental data with physiologically plausible parameters. Absorbed dose estimates remained consistent and robust, deviating by <2.3% in kidneys and <1.0% in tumours. Conclusions: PBPK-based digital twins enable reliable, individualised dosimetry, even under substantial measurement uncertainty.

Die metabolische Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) mit hyperpolarisiertem (HP) Pyruvat wird zu einer vielversprechenden, nicht‐invasiven Technik für die Diagnose, die Charakterisierung und die Überwachung bei Behandlung von Krebs, sowie bei anderen Erkrankungen. Die klinisch etablierte Methode zur Herstellung HP‐Pyruvats, die dynamische Kernpolarisation, ist jedoch ein komplexes und langwieriges Verfahren. Die Signalverstärkung durch reversiblen Austausch (SABRE) ist eine ultraschnelle und kostengünstige Methode, die auf einem schnellen chemischen Austausch beruht. Hier demonstrieren wir zum ersten Mal eine in vivo‐Anwendung, sowie auch metabolische MRT mit SABRE. Wir präsentieren eine neuartige Routine zur Herstellung von wässrigem HP‐[1‐¹³C]Pyruvat‐d₃ innerhalb von sechs Minuten, zur Anwendung in lebenden Organismen. Die injizierte Lösung war steril, ungiftig, pH‐neutral und enthielt ≈30 mM [1‐¹³C]Pyruvat‐d₃, polarisiert auf ≈11 % (Rückstände von 250 mM Methanol und 20 μM Katalysator). Es wurde durch schnelle Lösungsmittelverdampfung und Metallfiltrierung gewonnen, die wir in diesem Manuskript ausführlich beschreiben. Diese Ergebnisse machen die HP‐Pyruvat‐MRT für eine breite biomedizinische Gemeinschaft zur schnellen metabolischen Bildgebung von lebenden Organismen verfügbar.