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Transferrin-Coated Gadolinium Nanoparticles as MRI Contrast Agent

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Abstract

Purpose

In this study, the contrasting properties of human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA-NPs) loaded with gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and coated with transferrin in MRI in mice are evaluated.

Procedures

HSA-NPs were conjugated with Gd-DTPA (Gd-HSA-NPs) and coupled with transferrin (Gd-HSA-NP-Tf). Mice underwent MRI before or after injection of Gd-DTPA, Gd-HSA-NP, or Gd-HSA-NP-Tf.

Results

All the studied contrast agents provided a contrast enhancement (CE) in the blood, heart muscle, and liver. Compared to Gd-DTPA, CE with HSA-NP was achieved at lower Gd doses. Gd-HSA-NP-Tf yielded significantly higher CE than Gd-HSA-NP in the skeletal muscle, blood, cardiac muscle, and liver (p < 0.05). Gd-HSA-NP-Tf achieved a significantly higher CE than Gd-HSA-NP and Gd-DTPA in the blood, cardiac muscle, and liver (p < 0.05). In the brain, only Gd-HSA-NP-Tf was found to cause a significant CE (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The Gd-HSA nanoparticles have potential as MRI contrast agents. In particular, Gd-HSA-NP-Tf has a potential as a specific contrast agent for the brain, while the blood–brain barrier is still intact, as well as in the heart, liver, and skeletal muscle.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Wilhelm Sander Stiftung (2003.119.2), the Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GRK 1172), and the Heinrich und Erna Schaufler-Stiftung.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Joerg Haupenthal

    Present address: Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Department of Drug Design and Optimization, University of Saarland, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    Huedayi Korkusuz & Frank Gruenwald

  2. Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Biocenter of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue -Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany

    Karsten Ulbrich, Waralee Watcharin, Thomas Knobloch & Joerg Kreuter

  3. Department of Medicine I, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany

    Verena Koeberle, Joerg Haupenthal, Stefan Zeuzem & Albrecht Piiper

  4. Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany

    Ute Bahr

  5. Institute of Human Morphology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Zurupa st. 3, 117418, Moscow, Russia

    Valery Chernikov

  6. Department of Biomathematics, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany

    Hanns Ackermann

  7. Nanosystem Ltd, 7-th Kozhuhovskaya st., 20, 115193, Moscow, Russia

    Svetlana Gelperina

  8. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Jens Fiehler

  9. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany

    Katerina Welzel, Sabine Petersen, Frank Huebner, Wolfgang Kromen, Renate Hammerstingl & Thomas J. Vogl

Authors
  1. Huedayi Korkusuz
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  2. Karsten Ulbrich
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  7. Valery Chernikov
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  8. Thomas Knobloch
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  16. Frank Gruenwald
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  18. Stefan Zeuzem
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  19. Joerg Kreuter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huedayi Korkusuz.

Additional information

Karsten Ulbrich, Katerina Welzel, and Verena Koeberle contributed equally to this work.

Joerg Kreuter, Thomas J. Vogl, and Albrecht Piiper shared senior authorship.

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Korkusuz, H., Ulbrich, K., Welzel, K. et al. Transferrin-Coated Gadolinium Nanoparticles as MRI Contrast Agent. Mol Imaging Biol 15, 148–154 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-012-0579-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-012-0579-6

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