title: Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes as a Novel Platform for Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement and Passive Tumor Targeting.
abstract: A novel platform for the development of highly efficient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents has been demonstrated. New contrast agents are designed and produced through electrostatic self-assembly of cationic gadolinium(III) complexes onto anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPB). The structurally well-defined SPB are composed of polystyrene core and polyacrylic acid brush layer, where numerous binding sites and confined microenvironments are available for the embedment of the gadolinium(III) contrast agents. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments show excellent biocompatibility and relaxometric performance of these SPB-based gadolinium hybrid materials. The enhanced relaxivity value is up to 86.2 mM-1s-1per Gd, a remarkably high record value at 1.5 T magnetic field. In vivo imaging displays a prolonged blood circulation time and massive accumulation of the contrast agents at the tumor region due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. The SPB-based gadolinium hybrid materials not only broaden the horizons of new MRI contrast agents, but also have a great potential for tumor diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Weiqiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
authors.forename: Aiguo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0456-7269
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D061848:Optical Imaging; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D005682:Gadolinium
keywords: EPR effect; magnetic resonance imaging; relaxation enhancement; spherical polyelectrolyte brushes