Fe(III)-Based Nanomicelles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Colorectal Cancer with Hepatic Metastasis
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading global malignancy with a poor prognosis in advanced stages. Early and accurate diagnosis remains challenging due to the overlapping of clinical manifestations between early-stage CRC and inflammatory bowel diseases. Although dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Functional Biomaterials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4983/16/7/229 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading global malignancy with a poor prognosis in advanced stages. Early and accurate diagnosis remains challenging due to the overlapping of clinical manifestations between early-stage CRC and inflammatory bowel diseases. Although dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is a critical imaging modality for the diagnosis of CRC and colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM), conventional gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have the limitations of rapid clearance and potential toxicity risks. In this study, we report a gadolinium-free T1-weighted nanocontrast agent based on Fe(III)-coordinated poly(α-amino acid)s (Fe@POS) nanomicelles. Fe@POS nanomicelles exhibit a high longitudinal relaxivity (r<sub>1</sub> = 5.56 mM<sup>−1</sup>s<sup>−1</sup>) and prolonged blood circulation time with selective CRC tumor accumulation via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. In vivo MRI studies revealed long-period MRI of CRC. In CRLM lesions, normal hepatic tissue demonstrates greater Fe@POS uptake compared to tumor tissue, which enables clear delineation of tumor margins on MRI. Histological and biochemical analysis confirmed the biocompatibility of Fe@POS nanomicelles, with no acute toxicity observed, highlighting their potential as alternatives to GBCAs for clinical diagnostic applications. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2079-4983 |