title: Iron oxide nanosized clusters embedded in porous nanorods: a new colloidal design to enhance capabilities of MRI contrast agents.
abstract: Development of nanosized materials to enhance the image contrast between the normal and diseased tissue and/or to indicate the status of organ functions or blood flow is essential in nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we describe a contrast agent based on a new iron oxide design (superparamagnetic iron oxide clusters embedded in antiferromagnetic iron oxide porous nanorods). We show as a proof-of-concept that aqueous colloidal suspensions containing these particles show enhanced-proton relaxivities (i.e., enhanced MRI contrast capabilities). A remarkable feature of this new design is that large scale production is possible since aqueous-based routes are used, and porosity and iron oxide superparamagnetic clusters are directly developed from a single phase. We have also proved with the help of a simple model that the physical basis behind the increase in relaxivities lies on both the increase of dipolar field (interactions within iron oxide clusters) and the decrease of proton-cluster distance (porosity favors the close contact between protons and clusters). Finally, a list of possible steps to follow to enhance capabilities of this contrast agent is also included (partial coating with noble metals to add extra sensing capacity and chemical functionality, to increase the amount of doping while simultaneously carrying out cytotoxicity studies, or to find conditions to further decrease the size of the nanorods and to enhance their stability).
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Campus Universitario de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Aldo F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Rebolledo
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calero
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knobel
authors.forename: Jose F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tartaj
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003102:Colloids; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008280:Magnetics; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D015204:Spectroscopy, Mossbauer
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide