Related Experiment Videos
Following nanomedicine activation with magnetic resonance imaging: why, how, and what's next?
Friederike Reeβing1, Wiktor Szymanski1
1University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Radiology, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ, Groningen, The Netherlands; Centre for Systems Chemistry, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Nanomedicines, such as liposomal formulations, play an important role in cancer therapy. To support their development, medical imaging modalities are employed for following the drug delivery. Encapsulation of MRI contrast agents, which change their relaxivity upon co-release with the drug, is a promising strategy for monitoring both the biodistribution and payload release from a nanocarrier. This approach is successfully applied in preclinical settings to image the activation of liposomes responsive to heat, pH changes or sonication. Recent advances include combination with different treatments and the implementation of chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging to gain spectral resolution over different contrast agents. However, this field still faces challenges, such as matching the pharmacokinetic profiles of the contrast agents and the liberated drugs.