PEGylated GdF₃:Fe Nanoparticles as Multimodal T₁/T₂-Weighted MRI and X-ray CT Imaging Contrast Agents

Contrast agents for multimodal imaging are in high demand for cancer diagnosis. To date, integration of T₁/T₂-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging capabilities in one system to obtain an accurate diagnosis still remains challenging. In this work, biocompatible PEGylated GdF₃:Fe nanoparticles (PEG-GdF₃:Fe NPs) were reasonable designed and synthesized as multifunctional contrast agents for efficient T₁/T₂-weighted MRI and X-ray CT multimodal imaging. Owing to the enhanced permeability and retention effect in vivo, strong T₁ contrast, evident T₂ contrast, and X-ray CT signals in a tumor lesion can be observed after intravenous injection of PEG-GdF₃:Fe NPs. Therefore, PEG-GdF₃:Fe NPs could be used as potential multimodal contrast agents for cancer diagnosis.