A Blood-Labyrinth Barrier-Crossing Nanoprobe for Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Inner Ear.

ABSTRACT: Contrast-enhanced inner ear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides clinicians with powerful structural and pathological information for the diagnosis of inner ear diseases. However, currently used gadolinium (Gd) chelate-mediated contrast-enhanced MRI conveys insufficient inner ear specificity, and Gd-based contrast agents have a short body retention time and cause severe ototoxicity. Herein, we present the rational design of a sensitive inner ear-specific nanoprobe (I-PUSPIO) for inner ear MRI that is composed of an ultrasmall iron oxide core, the IETP2 peptide, and polyethylene glycol. Such a well-defined nanostructure endows it with blood-labyrinth barrier crossing capacity, leading to a high accumulation rate in the inner ear and prolonged body retention. In vivo I-PUSPIO can enhanc

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12648414 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature