Dextran-based Nanomicelle System with Directly Ester-bound Gadolinium Chelates as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent for Tumor Detection.

There is a strong need to develop MRI contrast agents (CAs) with lower in-vivo retention, stronger signal enhancement, and more specific imaging. Here, we report a novel dextran (DEX)-based nanomicelle system as an MRI CA with superior tumor imaging and relatively short intravascular persistence. Gadolinium (Gd)-chelate (DTPA-Gd) was conjugated directly to DEX hydroxyl via a degradable ester bond. DEX-DTPA-Gd was then modified with dodecylsuccinic anhydride to obtain the amphiphilic derivative, 2-dodecylsuccinic acid (DSA)-grafted DEX-DTPA-Gd. Nanomicelles were prepared by dissolving DSA-DEX-DTPA-Gd in water using ultrasonication. The physicochemical properties, cytotoxicity, and MRI efficiency of the synthesized CA were evaluated. The synthesized DSA-DEX-DTPA-Gd self-assembled into nanomicelles with an average diameter of 67.80 ± 5.21 nm. Within the given Gd concentration range, DSA-DEX-DTPA-Gd and Magnevist® exhibited similar cytotoxicity. DEX-based CAs resulted in a greater contrast enhancement of T1-weighted signal intensity in the tumor region than Magnevist®, and the tumors were clearly defined for at least 3 h. Simultaneously, the ester bond in DSA-DEX-DTPA-Gd facilitated the elimination of Gd chelates, compared with the relatively more stable amide linker. The DEX-based nanomicelle system with directly ester-bound DTPA-Gd may serve as an MRI CA with superior tumor imaging and relatively rapid elimination.

Mesoporous iron oxide nanofibers and their loading capacity of curcumin.

Mesoporous iron oxide nanofibers were obtained by calcination of electrospun precursors at various temperatures. Their microstructure is influenced by the calcination temperature. As the calcination temperature is at 350 degrees C, the resultant iron oxide nanofibers largely consist of magnetic Fe3O4 and gamma-Fe2O3, with a specific surface area of about 120 m2/g and magnetization of about 66.5 Am2/kg. When the precursor calcined at 450 degrees C, the pure mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 nanofibers with a specific surface area of about 92 m2/g are obtained and they show a high loading for curcumin. All the adjusted R-squares for the pseudo-second-order model overtop 0.99 in the initial curcumin ethanol solution concentrations of 30, 40 and 60 microg/mL, which suggests the pseudo-second-order kinetics model fit the adsorption kinetics of curcumin onto the mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 nanofibers, and the adsorption can reach equilibrium in 60 min. While, Langmuir model (R2 = 0.9980) fits well the curcumin adsorption isotherm onto alpha-Fe2O3 mesoporous nanofibers, and the adsorption capacity is up to 12.48 mg/g at the curcumin concentration of 60 microg/mL.