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Tag Archives: Gadolinium
We have an important advocate in Dr. Manny Kanal.
After years of trying to get the FDA and medical community’s attention about the issue of Gadolinium retention in patients with normal kidney function, it looks like our efforts have begun to pay off.
I want to share some news about Dr. Emanuel (Manny) Kanal. If you aren’t familiar with his name, Dr. Kanal is a leading radiologist and someone the FDA looks to for advice on matters related to MRI Safety. Duke and I have been in communication with him since October of 2013.
As you might imagine, MRI Safety is an important issue that requires medical professionals to stay well-informed about safety issues directly related to MR devices as well as the Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents administered for contrast-enhanced MRI and MRA. Since June of this year, Dr. Kanal has been conducting MRI Safety Officer (MRSO) and MRI Medical Director (MRMD) Seminars.
During a seminar on September 9, 2014, Dr. Kanal provided a “Gadolinium Contrast Overview”. According to the MRI Patient Safety blog, besides describing the state of NSF, he described “new and growing concerns about non-NSF bio-retention”. (more…)
Mast Cells and Gadolinium Toxicity, is there a connection?
In the summer of 2012, I was asked if I had ever read anything about mast cells and Gadolinium or NSF. I vaguely remembered mast cells being mentioned in one study, but it obviously didn’t strike me as being important or I would have done some research on it then. But after digging around a bit, I came away thinking that there might be a connection between mast cells and the disease progression of NSF/GASF.
For those who don’t know, mast cells are found in tissues throughout the body, particularly in association with structures such as blood vessels, peripheral nerves, in mucosal membranes, skin and subcutaneous tissue. Mast cells are bone marrow-derived and particularly dependent upon stem cell factor for their survival. They express a variety of phenotypic features within tissues that are determined by their local environment. Mast cells appear to be highly engineered cells with multiple critical biological functions. (more…)
Iceberg ahead!
So why am I talking about an iceberg on the Gadolinium Toxicity website? Let me explain.
Not long after I started researching NSF and Gadolinium in early 2010, I saw a reference to an editorial by Dr. Henrik Thomsen of Denmark that had been published in 2008. The title was, Is NSF Only the Tip of the “Gadolinium Toxicity” Iceberg? The title caught my attention and really made me think. It took me a while, but I finally managed to find the editorial. After reading it, I had more questions than answers.
It seems that in the early 1990s, there was already concern about the stability of the nonionic linear GBCAs, and the macrocyclic agents were found to be significantly more stable in serum. It was known that transmetallation with other metal ions in the body was more apt to occur with the DTPA-based chelates, and when transmetallation occurs it results in the toxic Gadolinium ion remaining in the body. Dr. Thomsen asked, “Why were nonionic linear chelates chosen instead of macrocyclic chelate?” That is a very good question.
For those of us in the U.S., a better question might be, why did it take the FDA longer to react than the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the Japanese authorities? (more…)
Gadolinium Toxicity 