Development of PEGylated Organic- Inorganic Hybrids as Potential Contrast Agents for Medical Imaging

摘要

Magnetic materials have found widespread applications in modern nanomedicine. For instance, gadolinium complexes and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) have been shown to be extremely useful contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Commercial products such as Magnevist~R or Resovist~R are nowadays routinely used in medical imaging. However, such inorganic materials are usually quite toxic and therefore require biocompatible coatings or chelates for optimal in vivo use. For instance, water-soluble polymers such as dextran or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been explored for creating biocompatible contrast agents. However, rather simple surface modifications have been described so far in the literature. A more advanced macromolecular engineering is probably necessary for controlling the in vivo behavior of the contrast agents.