title: Magnetically Decorated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Dual MRI and SPECT Contrast Agents.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been proposed as one of the most promising nanomaterials to be used in biomedicine for their applications in drug/gene delivery as well as biomedical imaging. The present study developed radio-labeled iron oxide decorated multi-walled CNTs (MWNT) as dual magnetic resonance (MR) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging agents. Hybrids containing different amounts of iron oxide were synthesized byin situgeneration. Physicochemical characterisations revealed the presence of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) granted the magnetic properties of the hybrids. Further comprehensive examinations including high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), fast Fourier transform simulations (FFT), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) assured the conformation of prepared SPION as γ-Fe2O3. High r2relaxivities were obtained in both phantom andin vivoMRI compared to the clinically approved SPION Endorem®. The hybrids were successfully radio-labeled with technetium-99m through a functionalized bisphosphonate and enabled SPECT/CT imaging and γ-scintigraphy to quantitatively analyze the biodistribution in mice. No abnormality was found by histological examination and the presence of SPION and MWNT were identified by Perls stain and Neutral Red stain, respectively. TEM images of liver and spleen tissues showed the co-localization of SPION and MWNT within the same intracellular vesicles, indicating thein vivostability of the hybrids after intravenous injection. The results demonstrated the capability of the present SPION-MWNT hybrids as dual MRI and SPECT contrast agents forin vivouse.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
authors.forename: Julie Tzu-Wen
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bourgognon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
authors.forename: Houmam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kafa
authors.affiliation: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK.|Cardiovascular Division, James Black Centre, King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, London SE5 9NU, UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Protti
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Venner
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, James Black Centre, King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre of Excellence, London SE5 9NU, UK.
authors.forename: Ajay M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1A 7BE, UK.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sosabowski
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1A 7BE, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Mather
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roig
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Research (EMAT), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Xiaoxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Research (EMAT), University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gustaaf Van
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Tendeloo
authors.affiliation: Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Rafael T M
authors.initials: RTM
authors.lastname: de Rosales
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tobias
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK.
authors.forename: Khuloud T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Al-Jamal
keywords: MRI; SPECT; carbon nanotubes; dual imaging; magnetic nanoparticles