Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

<strong>Background</strong><br>

Iron oxide nanoparticles are described for usage in therapeutic hyperthermia as well as for magnetic particle imaging and spectroscopy (MPI, MPS). Application of those particles in hyperthermia therapy (injection into tumor cells and exposure to an alternating magnetic field to damage tumor cells) is well known whereas MPI is a quite new tomographic imaging technique based on the non-linear magnetization behavior of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIOs). So far it is clear that MPI will have potential for many different diagnostic applications but it is still lacking appropriate SPIO tracers to achieve and guarantee the best possible image quality.<br><br> <strong>Technology</strong><br> The newly synthesized SPIO tracer for MPI according to this invention are assumed to have properties that guarantee a very well image quality and moreover enable them to be used in various biological systems and therewith in preclinical and clinical development. The SPIOs are provided as magnetic particle dispersion comprising single- or multi-core nanoparticles of iron oxides like magnetite and/or maghemite. For in vivo applications and stabilization the particles are coated with a biocompatible shell, preferably a polymer. In first experiments the dispersions showed an improved nonlinear magnetization behavior and a distinctive overtone structure that are clearly superior to SPIOs known in the state of the art so far. Moreover these SPIOs show improved heating properties when subjected to an alternating magnetic field. The proposed SPIO dispersions are suitable for applications in MPI, MRS, MRI, hyperthermia therapy, cell tracking and diagnosis of tumors, cardiovascular-, bone marrow-, lymph node- or liver diseases. <br> <br> <strong>Benefits</strong><br> <ul> <li>Enhanced nonlinear magnetization behavior</li> <li>Distinctive overtone structure</li> <li>Improved heating properties</li> <li>Well-functioning contrast agent for MPI </li> </ul><br> <strong>IP Rights</strong><br> EP and US patent application ( Feb. 2012) <br> <br> <strong>Origin</strong><br> Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin<br> Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt </p>

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