Magnetic Resonance Contrast Media Sensing In Vivo Molecular Imaging Agents: An Overview

Massoud      Amanlou; Seyed      Davar Siadat; Dariush      Norouzian; Seyed      Esmaeil Sadat Ebrahimi; Mohammad      Reza Aghasadeghi; Masoud      Ghorbani; Mohammad      Shafiee Alavidjeh; Davoud      Nouri Inanlou; Ali      Jabbari Arabzadeh; Mehdi      Shafiee Ardestani

doi:10.2174/1874471011104010031

Abstract

Metabolic imaging is commonly performed by nuclear medicine facilities such as PET or SPECT, etc. The production and biomedical applications of bio-molecular sensing in vivo MRI metabolic contrast agents has recently become of great universal research interest, which follows its great success as a potential cost effective, less radioactive, nuclear medicine alternative. Temperature, redox potential, enzyme activity, free radial/metal ion responsive and/or pH sensitive molecular metabolic MR contrast agents are among the famous instances exemplified, which basically promote MR image contrast enhancement ability to distinguish molecular metabolic/gene expression features. Overall, these MRI contrast agents provide a framework to achieve a greater degree of accuracy from MRI as a low cost, more available facility, non radioactive radiation producing and highly sensitive biomedical tool to propound as a new suggesting opponent for PET nuclear medicine imaging. In the present review, the design, development, examination and future of the above agents will be discussed in detail.

Keywords: Bio-molecular sensing in vivo MRI metabolic contrast agents, PET, SITE-SPECIFIC MOLECULAR CONTRAST AGENT DELIVERY, LIPOSOME, PHOSPHOLIPIDS, THE LIPOSOME-MOLECULAR CONTRAST AGENT, Targeting Ligands, ANTIBODY, Polyclonals vs Monoclonals, MOLECULAR CONTRAST AGENT-MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY CONJUGATES FOR MOLECULAR TARGETING