Glossary

Magnetic resonance imaging. A sophisticated imaging technique using magnetic fields instead of x-rays to create the image.

Messenger RNA – a type of RNA that passes genetic information from the DNA to the ribosome that directs protein synthesis.

Magnetic Resonance Perfusion.  Magnetic Resonance Imaging  technique for evaluating perfusion or the degree of delivery of oxygen and nutrients by blood circulation to a tissue.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy – specialized magnetic resonance imaging used to characterize and quantitative relative concentrations of brain metabolites. This information can be used in determining the tissue type in an area of interest on a routine magnetic resonance image.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy – This refers to using the MR scanner to perform a NMR analysis of the tissue being imaged ignorer to gain information about its molecular makeup.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus – a strain of bacteria that has developed a resistance to a commonly used penicillin antibiotic, methicillin.

Muscle smooth actin – refers to a stain for muscle actin occurring in skeletal, cardiac and other smooth muscles. It does not stain non-muscle actin. It is used to differentiate tumors containing muscle elements from those that do not.

A gene responsible for coding for the synthesis of the Homeobox protein MSX-2. This protein regulates apoptosis of neural crest cells occurring during the morphogenesis of the skull and face.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase – the key enzyme of the methyl cycle, it catalyzes the conversion of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate that results in the methylation of homocysteine with methionine as the end product. Mutations in the gene producing this enzyme have been associated with cancers and neural tube defects among other things.

Mammalian target of rapamycin – a protein kinase that regulates cell growth, proliferation, motility and survival. This regulatory effect can be disrupted by some forms of cancer leading to accelerated cell growth.