New nanoparticles offer potential medical imaging benefits

The medical applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be expanded through the use of new nanoparticle technology.

An international team led by Rice University and the Methodist Hospital Research Institute have developed a means of using submicroscopic particles that contain even smaller particles of iron oxide to enhance MRI techniques.

These new particles can be injected into patients and guided by magnetic fields to gather at the site of tumours. They can then be heated to kill malignant tissue, or trigger the release of drugs.

Lead author and Rice graduate student Ayrat Gizzatov explained: "They get attracted by the magnet, and that induces another dipole-dipole magnetic interaction among the particles and increases their interparticle communication mechanism."

The nanoconstructs should also fully degrade and leave the body within a few days, making them both safe and effective.

MRI scans use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. They can be used to examine almost any part of the body, including the brain and spinal cord, bones and joints, breasts, heart and blood vessels, and internal organs.