Researchers reveal mechanism by which transition metal modulates magnetic resonance imaging properties of iron oxide

FDA-approved iron oxide nanocrystals (IONs) as negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents are encountering challenges because of its low relaxation rate and coherent ferromagnetism. Although the researches find that metal doping is an efficient approach to improve the magnetic property and MRI contrast performance of IONs, their systemic mechanism rarely involves.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. WU Zhengyan from Institute of Intelligent Machines, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with researchers from Institute of Health and Medical Technology of HFIPS and Binzhou Medical University, successfully fabricated series of transition metal-doped iron oxide nanocrystals and systematically explored the mechanism of doping behavior on the magnetic resonance contrast performance of iron oxide nanocrystals.

The new finding, which was published in Journal of Materials Chemistry B, provided a new reference and basis for the development of efficient magnetic resonance contrast agents.

In this research, scientists prepared a series of hydrophilic transition metal-doped iron oxide nanocrystals by a facile thermal degradation method, and comprehensively investigated the changes in their physicochemical properties to reveal the mechanism of the enhanced magnetic resonance signal of the transition metal-doped iron oxide nanocrystals.

Subsequently, the optimal sample group was selected to evaluate the enhancement of magnetic resonance signals using an in situ prostate cancer mouse model.

This work illustrated the mechanism of magnetic resonance signal enhancement of transition metal-doped iron oxide nanocrystals, which offered a new insight for the development of efficient magnetic resonance contrast agents.