Liver and brain imaging through dimercaptosuccinic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

Uptake, cytotoxicity and interaction of improved superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were studied in cells, tissues and organs after single and multiple exposures.

We prepared dimercaptosuccinic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition in organic medium, resulting in aqueous suspensions with a small hydrodynamic size (< 100 nm), high saturation magnetization and susceptibility, high nuclear magnetic resonance contrast and low cytotoxicity.

In vitro and in vivo behavior showed that these nanoparticles are efficient carriers for drug delivery to the liver and brain that can be combined with MRI detection.