Rosa Tamara Branca1, Simone Degan, John
Nouls2, Challa Kumar3, Sanchita Biswas3,
Bastiaan Driehuys2
1Chemistry, Duke
University, Durham, NC, United States; 2Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University; 3Center
for Advanced Microstructures & Devices, Louisiana State University,
United States
The recently introduced combination of hyperpolarized (HP) gas MRI with targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) could open new avenues for MR-based molecular imaging of the lung. However, because the lungs fine capillary network readily traps particles larger than ∼10μm, it is critically important to develop stable, monodisperse SPION formulations that do not accumulate unless the pathology of interest is present. The current study was designed to evaluate the in vivo bio-distribution of several SPION formulations injected intraveinously, and to test their effects on 3He MRI in normal control mice.