title: Pharmaceutical applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful imaging modality that provides internal images of materials and living organisms on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. It is non-invasive and non-destructive, and one of very few techniques that can observe internal events inside undisturbed specimens in situ. It is versatile, as a wide range of NMR modalities can be accessed, and 2D and 3D imaging can be undertaken. Despite widespread use and major advances in clinical MRI, it has seen limited application in the pharmaceutical sciences. In vitro studies have focussed on drug release mechanisms in polymeric delivery systems, but isolated studies of bioadhesion, tablet properties, and extrusion and mixing processes illustrate the wider potential. Perhaps the greatest potential however, lies in investigations of pharmaceuticals in vivo, where pilot human and animal studies have demonstrated we can obtain unique insights into the behaviour of gastrointestinal, topical, colloidal, and targeted drug delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Formulation Insights, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: J Craig
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Bowtell
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mäder
authors.forename: Colin D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Melia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations