Trapped in Endosome PEGylated Ultra-Small Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Enable Extraordinarily High MR Imaging Contrast for Hepatocellular Carcinomas.

ABSTRACT: The early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) remains challenging in the clinic. Primovist-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aids HCC diagnosis but loses sensitivity for tumors <2 cm. Therefore, developing advanced MRI contrast agents is imperative for improving the diagnostic accuracy of HCCs in very-early-stage. To address this challenge, PEGylated ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles (PUSIONPs) are synthesized and employed as liver-specific T1 MRI contrast agents. Intravenous delivery produces simultaneous hyperintense HCC and hypointense hepatic parenchyma signals on T1 imaging, creating an extraordinarily high tumor-to-liver contrast. Systematic studies uncover PUSIONP distribution in hepatic parenchyma, HCC lesions at the organ, tissue, cellular, and subcellular lev

SUBMITTER: Zhou D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11497028 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature