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Journal of Functional Biomaterials Feb 2024"Hot spot" F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has garnered significant attention recently for its ability to image various disease markers quantitatively. Unlike...
"Hot spot" F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has garnered significant attention recently for its ability to image various disease markers quantitatively. Unlike conventional gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents, which rely on proton signal modulation, F-MRI's direct detection has a unique advantage in vivo, as the human body exhibits a negligible background F-signal. However, existing perfluorocarbon (PFC) or PFC-based contrast materials suffer from several limitations, including low longitudinal relaxation rates and relatively low imaging efficiency. Hence, we designed a macromolecular contrast agent featuring a high number of magnetically equivalent F-nuclei in a single macromolecule, adequate fluorine nucleus mobility, and excellent water solubility. This design utilizes superfluorinated polyphosphazene (PPz) polymers as the F-source; these are modified with sodium mercaptoethanesulfonate (MESNa) to achieve water solubility exceeding 360 mg/mL, which is a similar solubility to that of sodium chloride. We observed substantial signal enhancement in MRI with these novel macromolecular carriers compared to non-enhanced surroundings and aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) used as a positive control. In conclusion, these novel water-soluble macromolecular carriers represent a promising platform for future MRI contrast agents.
PubMed: 38391893
DOI: 10.3390/jfb15020040