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Alipour A, Soran-Erdem Z, Utkur M, Sharma VK, Algin O, Saritas EU, Demir HV. A new class of cubic SPIONs as a dual-mode T1 and T2 contrast agent for MRI. Magn Reson Imaging 2017; 49:16-24. [PMID: 28958878 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are widely used as a robust negative contrast agent on conventional MRI. In this study, we (a) synthesized a new class of cubic SPIONs as a dual-mode contrast agent in MRI and (b) showed the in-vivo feasibility of these nanaoparticles as a simultaneous positive and negative contrast agent. Relaxation properties and contrast enhancement analysis of the synthesized SPIONs with two different shapes (cubic vs. spherical) and three different sizes 7nm, 11nm, and 14nm were investigated to evaluate contrast enhancement in-vitro. In-vivo MRI experiments were performed on a 3T MR scanner, where a healthy anesthetized rat was imaged before, and from 20 to 80min after intravenous injection of 1mg/kg of contrast agent. Representative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the synthesized nanoparticles reveal that the particles are well dispersed in a solvent and do not aggregate. The in-vitro relaxivity and contrast enhancement analysis show that, among all six SPIONs tested, 11-nm cubic SPIONs possess optimal molar relaxivities and contrast enhancement values, which can shorten the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times, simultaneously. No noticeable toxicity is observed during in-vitro cytotoxicity analysis. In-vivo T1-and T2-weighted acquisitions at 60-min post-injection of 11-nm cubic SPIONs result in 64% and 48% contrast enhancement on the T1-and T2-weighted images, respectively. By controlling the shape and size of SPIONs, we have introduced a new class of cubic SPIONs as a synergistic (dual-mode) MRI contrast agent. 11-nm cubic SPIONs with smaller size and high positive and negative contrast enhancements were selected as a promising candidate for dual-mode contrast agent. Our proof-of-concept MRI experiments on rat demonstrate the in-vivo dual-mode contrast enhancement feasibility of these nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Alipour
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Zeliha Soran-Erdem
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Utkur
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Vijay Kumar Sharma
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey; LUMINOUS! Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Oktay Algin
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey; Department of Radiology, Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Emine Ulku Saritas
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey; Neuroscience Program, Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Hilmi Volkan Demir
- Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering-National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey; LUMINOUS! Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
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