Dual-Modal T1 MRI-NIR Fluorescence Imaging Agent
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a vital role in medical diagnosis as it has advantages over other imaging modalities, such as high spatiotemporal resolution, non-invasive, and use of non-ionizing radiation. The gadolinium(III) complexes (Gd) are used as MRI contrast agents (CA) and tens of millions of contrast-enhanced MRI scans are performed each year worldwide. Recent studies indicate that patients suffering from severe renal impairment cannot be utilized Gd CAs and the long-term effects of retained Gd are also limiting its usefulness in MRI scans. It demands Gd-free MRI contrast agents and drives a new direction of bioinorganic chemistry innovation. MRI contrast agents based on iron are reported as promising alternatives in this area. The research group under Dr. R. Mayilmurugan has developed a dual “MRI-ON-Fluorescence ON” imaging agent using IR780 dye as an external marker for imaging the pH of tumor cells. The report is published in ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2023, 9, 3570 by American Chemical Society. The article can be accessed through the link:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00203.