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Hybrid Nanomaterials as Multimodal Imaging Contrast Agents
Description of Invention:
New hybrid nanomaterials that can be used as multimodal imaging contrast agents. These hybrid nanomaterials produce highly efficient MRI contrast agents that can be bound to a targeting group that acts to direct the contrast agent to a specific organ or cells expressing specific molecular signals, such as certain cancer cells.
Benefits:
Can be conjugated to target moieties to make them specific for diseased states such as tumor and inflammation sites. In some designs the contrast agent can be bound to a group that increases:
· The size
· Circulation half-life
· Enhance the solubility of the contrast agent in a specific solvent
· Comprising of a luminophore for the use in detecting the presence of the contrast agent via an optical technique.
Exhibit several orders of magnitude larger relaxivities than those of existing Gd- and Mn-based small-molecule contrast agents, therefore more easily detected. Positive image enhancement compared to negative image enhancement by iron oxide-based contrast agents
Uses:
Disease-specific imaging and early diagnosis of cancer and inflammatory
disease such as rheumatoid arthritis
MORE INFORMATION:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/114207297/PDFSTART
http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/article.cgi/jacsat/2007/129/i29/pdf/ja073062z.pdf
Lin_ja073062z.pdf
Wenbin Lin_1.pdf
UNC_Nanoparticle_Contrast_Agent.pdf
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