title: Dendrimers as high relaxivity MR contrast agents.
abstract: Dendrimers are versatile macromolecules with tremendous potential as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Dendrimer-based agents provide distinct advantages over low-molecular-weight gadolinium chelates, including enhanced r1 relaxivity due to slow rotational dynamics, tunable pharmacokinetics that can be adapted for blood pool, liver, kidney, and lymphatic imaging, the ability to be a drug carrier, and flexibility for labeling due to their inherent multivalency. Clinical applications are increasingly being developed, particularly in lymphatic imaging. Herein we present a broad overview of dendrimer-based MRI contrast agents with attention to the unique chemistry and physical properties as well as emerging clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Imaging Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Longmire
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Choyke
authors.forename: Hisataka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D050091:Dendrimers; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D050997:Nanomedicine
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D050091:Dendrimers