Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Emerging Contrast Agents for Enhanced T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Authors

  • Mahboobeh Mehrabifard Department of Radiology, Faculty of Paramedicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandarabas, Iran
  • Solmaz Derakhshan Department of Internal Medicine, Kosar Hospital, Kordestan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
  • Roqaie Kalantari Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • Amirhossein Rashnoodi Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • Saadat Ebrahimiyan Department of Medical Physics and Radiology, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
  • Sahar Mohammadjani Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  • Omid Talaee Department of Nuclear Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
  • Navid Kheradmand Department of Health Physics, Graduate School of Health Sciences, İstanbul Medipol University, İstanbul, Türkiye

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18502/fbt.v13i3.22741

Keywords:

Fe3O4 Nanoparticles; PEGylating; Molecular Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Breast Cancer.

Abstract

Purpose: Integrating magnetic Nanoparticles (NPs) into contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging can significantly improve the resolution and sensitivity of the resulting images, leading to enhanced accuracy and reliability in diagnostic information. The present study aimed to investigate the use of targeted trastuzumab-labeled iron oxide (TZ-PEG-Fe3O4) NPs to enhance imaging capabilities for the detection and characterization of Breast Cancer (BC) cells.

Materials and Methods: The NPs were synthesized by loading Fe3O4NPs with the monoclonal antibody TZ. Initially, Fe3O4 NPs were produced and subsequently coated with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) to form PEG- Fe3O4 NPs. The TZ antibody was then conjugated to the PEG- Fe3O4 NPs, resulting in TZ-PEG-Fe3O4 NPs. The resulting NPs were characterized using standard analytical techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, TEM, VSM, and assessments of colloidal stability.

Results: Analyses indicated that the targeted TZ-PEG-Fe3O4 NPs exhibited a spherical morphology and a relatively uniform size distribution, with an average diameter of approximately 60 nm. These results confirmed the successful synthesis and controlled fabrication of the Fe3O4 NPs, which is crucial for developing effective Contrast Agents (CAs) for medical imaging applications. Additionally, the study confirmed the biocompatibility and magnetic properties of the synthesized TZ-PEG-Fe3O4 NPs.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that the developed targeted TZ-PEG-Fe3O4 NPs have significant potential as effective CAs for MR imaging of BC cells.

Published

2026-09-22

Issue

Volume (13) issue (3)

Section

Articles