Using a state-of-the-art scanner, researchers from Aarhus University have developed technology that can detect the earliest changes in the kidney when scar tissue begins to form in it. The findings are published in the journal Investigative Radiology.

"We can measure the changes associated with fibrosis formation earlier than all existing methods that measure the amount of fibrosis that has already formed," explained lead study author Nikolaj Boe from the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University. Thanks to a technology known as MRI using hyperpolarized 13C-pyruvate, doctors can now see fibrosis formation before it occurs. This allows treatment to begin earlier and potentially prevent permanent damage to the kidney.

"This method uses a completely new approach to detect scar tissue early by visualizing the building blocks that make up fibrosis," Boe noted.

The technology is based on injecting the patient with a special form of pyruvate, a natural substance involved in the body's energy production. When pyruvate molecules are hyperpolarized, their magnetic signals are significantly amplified, by more than 20,000 times. This makes it possible to track their transformation in the body using an MRI scanner. By tracking how pyruvate is converted into other substances, doctors can detect early signs of fibrosis before there are visible structural changes that can be detected by standard methods. Not only is this method more effective, but it is also safer and more convenient for patients because it eliminates the need for invasive biopsies.