title: The quagmire of relaxation times.
abstract: NMR researchers continue to be puzzled by the quagmire of relaxation times of normal and malignant cells. Here a simple theory points out that the dissimilarities of relaxation behavior are not due to macromolecule alterations or phase transition in the water but to the consumption of dissolved oxygen in the cell associated water. The percentage of hypoxic and anoxic cells and growth rate of a tumor will determine the oxygen consumption in the absence of reduced blood flow, which is indeed a reflection of relaxation behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA 01609.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Akber
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*