Development of Carbon Nanoencapsulates for Biomedicine

一种新发现的纳米级材料，金属-碳纳米胶囊， 具有相当大的潜力，以改善目前的分子为基础的MRI对比度 增强剂。金属-碳纳米胶囊的直径为2 nm或更大 石墨碳层包裹金属或金属单晶的颗粒 碳化物它们的连续石墨碳壳有好几层厚， 稳定这种外壳保护金属氧化物免受氧气和水的影响， 防止金属离开封装物，允许金属之间的磁性相互作用 和外部分子，并为化学衍生化提供了支架。这些 物理特性赋予金属-碳显著的优点 纳米胶囊，并将导致一个更安全，更有效的一类新型MRI 基于金属-碳纳米胶囊的对比度增强剂。的 纳米胶囊将被胺化，允许溶解和偶联 在纳米胶囊的表面上的反应。的弛豫特性 对含钆的可溶性纳米胶囊进行评估，并且 将测试蛋白质的共价结合。潜在应用这些 纳米胶囊化造影剂包括血池、RES、癌细胞的成像， 病变，以及受体和基因表达的靶向成像。 拟定商业应用： 开发了一类新的有效的MRI对比增强剂， 磁性金属-碳纳米胶囊具有更高的稳定性，更高的弛豫率， 较低的体内所需浓度和在靶特异性成像中的新用途 这些应用将产生巨大的商业影响。一旦全面发展，这些 临床应用需要更安全和更强大的造影剂 在全国各地的MRI实验室和医院中， 血管造影术，网状内皮系统成分成像， 用靶向药物治疗癌性病变，以及用于基因表达成像和其他 受体。

A newly discovered class of nanoscale materials, the metal-carbon nanoencapsulates, has considerable potential to improve on current molecular-based MRI contrast enhancing agents. Metal-carbon nanoencapsulates are 2 nm diameter and larger particles in which graphitic carbon layers encase single crystals of metals or metal carbides. Their continuous graphitic carbon shells are several layers thick and highly stable. This shell protects the metal nanocrystal from oxygen and water, prevents the metal from leaving the encapsulate, allows magnetic interactions between the metal and exterior molecules, and provides a scaffolding for chemical derivitization. These physical characteristics impart significant advantages to metal-carbon nanoencapsulates and will result in a safer, more effective class of novel MRI contrast enhancing agents based on metal-carbon nanoencapsulates. The nanoencapsulates will be aminated, allowing for solubilization and coupling reactions on the surface of the nanoencapsulate. The relaxivity characterisitics of gadolinium containing solubilized nanoencapsulates with be evaluated, and the covalent conjugation of proteins will be tested. Potential applications for these nanoencapsulate contrast agents include imaging of the blood pool, RES, cancerous lesions, and targeted imaging of receptors and gene expression. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The development of a new class of potent MRI contrast enhancing agents based on magnetic metal-carbon nanoencapsulates with higher stabilities, higher relaxivities, lower required in vivo concentrations and novel utility in target-specific imaging applications will have substantial commercial impact. Once fully developed, these safer and more powerful contrast enhancing agents will be in demand for clinical use in MRI laboratories and hospitals around the country in applications like MR angiography, imaging of reticuloendothelial system components, imaging of cancerous lesions with targeted agents, and for imaging gene expression and other receptors.