Formation of gadolinium-ferritin from clinical magnetic resonance contrast agents

Nanoscale Adv. 2020 Aug 31;2(12):5567-5571. doi: 10.1039/c9na00567f. eCollection 2020 Dec 15.

Abstract

Gadolinium deposition in the brain following administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) has led to health concerns. We show that some clinical GBCAs form Gd3+-ferritin nanoparticles at (sub)nanomolar concentrations of Gd3+ under physiological conditions. We describe their structure at atomic resolution and discuss potential relevance for clinical MRI.