Imaging: high relaxivities and strong vascular signal enhancement for NaGdF4 nanoparticles designed for dual MR/optical imaging (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 11/2013)

Abstract

Tripositive gadolinium-ion doped NIR-to-NIR upconverting paramagnetic nanoparticles are efficiently detected are NIR imaging techniques but can also provide efficient "positive" contrast in MRI. On page 1478 John A. Capobianco, Marc-André Fortin, and co-workers show that citrate-coated nanoparticles present the lowest relaxometric ratios reported for NaGdF4 nanoparticle suspensions. IV-injected nanoparticles evidence long blood retention times in mice while biodistribution studies show elimination through the reticuloendothelial and urinary systems.

Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging; neutron activation analysis; relaxometry of paramagnetic contrast agents; sodium gadolinium fluoride; upconverting nanoparticles.