Abstract #1855

Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles for Positive Contrast MRI of Human Aortic Endothelial Cells at 7 Tesla

Yasir Loai¹, Nurus Sakib¹, Rafal Janik², Warren D. Foltz³, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng,¹⁴

¹The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ²Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ³University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ⁴Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Positive T1 contrast MRI offers improved specificity and spatial delineation over conventional negative-contrast imaging, and gadolinium oxide (Gd₂O₃) nanoparticles have shown promise as a sensitive T1 agent for labeling. However, it is not known if signal enhancement in labeled cells is maintained at high field strengths, where relaxivity is known to decline. This study explores the potential of Gd₂O₃ for positive-contrast MRI at 7 Tesla. It is demonstrated in human aortic endothelial cells that large amounts of Gd₂O₃ were ingested spontaneously and that significant and stable positive T1 contrast on cells was achieved for at least 7 days.