FERRITE PARTICLES AS NMR IMAGING CONTRAST AGENTS

作为与放射科合作的一部分， 马萨诸塞州总医院，我们打算评估的潜力， 肝脏靶向的、基于铁氧体的造影剂， 磁共振（MR）成像用于检测肝转移瘤， 大鼠肿瘤模型 尽管迄今为止已发表的关于MR造影剂的研究 药剂仅涉及离子或离子螯合物，未发表的数据 下面提出的这些结果表明，这种铁氧体颗粒可以起到强大的作用， 图像增强造影剂。 一种有前途的候选人 粒子已被识别。 Advanced Magnetics的努力将被引导到 系统地合成了各种铁氧体化合物， 将控制颗粒尺寸、铁氧体成分和化学成分 涂层 这些参数旨在生产无毒的 可控尺寸的微粒（胶体）造影剂，尺寸 分布，和化学涂层，其表面特性将允许 肝脏网状内皮系统的有效吞噬作用 而不是肿瘤结节。 这种选择性吸收的结果应该允许 在正常和癌组织之间的对比度的重大改善。 我们希望新的MR造影剂将为我们的研究提供额外的工具。 研究器官生理学和代谢，并提供临床优势， 可以提高患者/样本的吞吐量，降低单位成本 考试

As part of a collaborative effort with the Department of Radiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital, we intend to assess the potential of liver-targeted, ferrite-based contrast agents to enhance the potential of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for detection of liver metastases using a rat tumor model. Although published studies to date with MR contrast agents have involved only ions or ion-chelate complexes, unpublished data presented below suggest that such ferrite particles can act as powerful image enhancement contrast agents. One promising type of candidate particle has been identified. Advanced Magnetics' efforts will be directed toward the systematic synthesis of a variety of ferrite compounds which will be controlled for particle size, ferrite composition and chemical coating. These parameters are directed toward producing a non-toxic particulate (colloidal) contrast agent(s) of controlled size, size distribution, and chemical coating whose surface properties will allow for the efficient phagocytosis by the reticuloendothelial system of the liver but not by tumor nodules. The result of this selective uptake should allow major improvements in the contrast between normal and cancerous tissues. We expect that new MR contrast agents will provide additional tools for the study of organ physiology and metabolism and offer clinical advantages that can result in increased patient/sample throughput and reduced cost per examination.