title: Superparamagnetic iron oxide based nanoprobes for imaging and theranostics.
abstract: The need to target, deliver and subsequently evaluate the efficacy of therapeutics in the treatment of a disease has provided added impetus in developing novel and highly efficient contrast agents. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have offered tremendous potential in designing advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic agents, due to their unique physicochemical properties. There has been tremendous effort devoted in the recent past in developing synthetic methodologies through which their size, hydrodynamic radii, chemical composition and morphologies could be tailored at the nanoscale. This enables one to fine tune their magnetic behavior, and thus their MRI response. While novel synthetic strategies are being assembled for directing SPIONs to the diseased site as well as imparting them stealth and biocompatibility, it is also essential to evaluate their biological toxicological profiles. This review highlights recent advances that have been made in the synthesis of SPIONs, subsequent functionalization with desired entities, and a discussion on their use as MRI contrast agents in cardiovascular research.
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Department of Chemistry, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal H3A 0B8, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pouliot
authors.forename: Pramod K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Avti
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lesage
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kakkar
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Physicochemical properties; Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs); Synthesis