title: Stable confinement of positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance agents within carbon nanotubes for bimodal imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Simultaneous positron emission tomography/MRI has recently been introduced to the clinic and dual positron emission tomography/MRI probes are rare and of growing interest. We have developed a strategy for producing multimodal probes based on a carbon nanotube platform without the use of chelating ligands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gd(3+) and (64)Cu(2+) ions were loaded into ultra-short single-walled carbon nanotubes by sonication. Normal, tumor-free athymic nude mice were injected intravenously with the probe and imaged over 48 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The probe was stable for up to 24 h when challenged with phosphate-buffered saline and mouse serum. Positron emission tomography imaging also confirmed the stability of the probe in vivo for up to 48 h. The probe was quickly cleared from circulation, with enhanced accumulation in the lungs. Stable encapsulation of contrast agents within ultra-short single-walled carbon nanotubes represents a new strategy for the design of advanced imaging probes with variable multimodal imaging capabilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & Richard E Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Rice University, 1900 Rice Blvd, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Cisneros
authors.forename: Justin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azhdarinia
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sevick-Muraca
authors.forename: Lon J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon
keywords: MRI; carbon nanotube; contrast agent; multimodal imaging; positron emission tomography