IntroductionThe OCRA Tabletop MRI System is a compact, low-field (0.24T) magnetic resonance platform originally developed as an educational device to teach MR physics using chemical test tube-sized samples. Given its capabilities, we explored its diagnostic potential by performing relaxometric analysis on freshly resected human tissue specimens.MethodsMatched pairs of histologically confirmed tumor and non-tumor samples were analyzed with the OCRA MRI system to determine T1 and T2 relaxation times via NMR spectroscopy. In parallel, mRNA expression levels of ZEB1, a key transcription factor involved in WNT signaling, stem cell maintenance and tumor-stroma interactions were quantified for each sample.ResultsThe measured T1 and T2 relaxation times showed distinct profiles between tumor and non-tumor tissues. These biophysical properties were correlated with ZEB1 mRNA expression, revealing preliminary associations between tissue relaxation behavior and molecular signatures relevant to tumor microenvironment dynamics.ConclusionAlthough this pilot study does not yet confirm clinical diagnostic utility, it offers initial biophysical insights into tumor-associated tissue alterations and provides a foundation for future validation studies in larger patient cohorts.
Keywords: EMT; MRI; relaxometry; tumor microenvironment.