title: Polymetallic macromolecules are potential contrast agents of improved efficiency.
abstract: The commercial synthetic homopolypeptide polyaspartate (average MW = 30,000, approximately 220 monomers) in solution quantitatively binds up to 40 mol Gd3+ ions per mole of polyaspartate. The water proton relaxivity of the solutions is far higher than that of clinically used or commonly investigated gadolinium(III) complexes. It is shown that polymetallic macromolecular complexes combine the high relaxing efficiency of monometallic macromolecular complexes with the favorable metal/ligand mass ratio of small monometallic complexes.
authors.affiliation: Bracco S.p.A., Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavagna
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luchinat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scozzafava
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008670:Metals; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010455:Peptides
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008670:Metals; D010455:Peptides; C017645:polyaspartate