Most of us have no doubt had an MRI at some point. The imaging technology can be invaluable for surgeons to get a highly accurate picture of the status of a back, neck, knee, or shoulder prior to surgery. Researchers are discovering new capabilities possible with MRI technology. In a major scientific article published by Nature, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Houston, have developed a new capability called Magnetic resonance navigation (MRN). By modifying the software which operates the imaging system,  the researchers have discovered how to perform real-time steering of drug particles and cells to targets throughout the body. Therapeutic substances can be given magnetic labels. Physicians can then use MRN to steer the substances through the vasculature of a patient directly into a tumor. See the full article Simultaneous steering and imaging of magnetic particles using MRI toward delivery of therapeutics. Read about other leading edge medical technologies in Health Attitude.