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Small is Smarter: Nano MRI Contrast Agents – Advantages and Recent Achievements
Author(s) -
Gao Zhenyu,
Ma Tiancong,
Zhao Enyu,
Docter Dominic,
Yang Wensheng,
Stauber Roland H.,
Gao Mingyuan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201502309
Subject(s) - nanotechnology , magnetic resonance imaging , biocompatibility , biocompatible material , materials science , medical physics , computer science , biomedical engineering , medicine , radiology , metallurgy
Many challenges for advanced sensitive and noninvasive clinical diagnostic imaging remain unmatched. In particular, the great potential of magnetic nano‐probes is intensively discussed to further improve the performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially for cancer diagnosis. Based on recent achievements, here the concepts of magnetic nanoparticle‐based MRI contrast agents and tumor‐specific imaging probes are critically summarized. Advances in their synthesis, biocompatible chemical and biofunctional surface modifications, and current strategies for further developing them into multimodality imaging probes are discussed. In addition, how engineered versus unintended surface coatings such as protein coronas affect the biocompatibility and performance of MRI nano‐probes is also considered. To stimulate progress in the field, future strategies and relevant challenges that still need to be resolved in the field conclude this review.