Descrizione del progetto
I mezzi di contrasto per la risonanza magnetica presto potrebbero essere in grado di trattare le patologie oltre che diagnosticarle
La risonanza magnetica (RM) sfrutta le proprietà magnetiche naturali del corpo per produrre immagini dettagliate di organi e tessuti. Sebbene originariamente destinata a un uso senza agenti di contrasto, la ricerca ha dimostrato che tali agenti potenziano la sensibilità e/o la selettività, migliorando l’accuratezza delle diagnosi in molte condizioni. Oggi gli agenti di contrasto disponibili sono diversi, in gran parte basati su quali tessuti o strutture sono di interesse. Una crescente evidenza suggerisce tuttavia che alcuni di questi potrebbero accumularsi nei tessuti in caso di uso ripetuto ed esiste pertanto la necessità di soluzioni alternative. NOVA-MRI sta sfruttando il potere delle nanoparticelle intelligenti e la loro funzionalizzazione. In tal modo si potrebbe aprire la strada a nuovi agenti di contrasto che possono trasportare terapie verso un sito bersaglio e agevolare il rilascio controllato e il trattamento.
Obiettivo
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a leading clinical diagnostic technique that is able to provide whole body imaging, and when individual cells are imaged in living animals, it can provide new insights into the biology of cell trafficking and migration. For cells to be visualised by MRI, they generally must be labelled to enable their discrimination from surrounding tissue. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents is therefore an active area of research, where the basis for this interest is the expansion of MRI as a high-resolution and non-invasive important preclinical and clinical imaging modality. Moreover, there are now new opportunities to developing smart materials with multifunctional abilities including MRI contrast in-built within biomaterial structures, functionalisation with targeting ligands and the carrying of a therapeutic payload. This move towards a new generation of MRI contrast reagents has also been spurred on by the mounting evidence against gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). They are currently the agents of choice and were considered historically safe and well tolerated until recently. However, they have been found to accumulate in various tissues of patients who do not have renal impairment, including bone, brain and kidneys. Furthermore, in 2015, the FDA released a new safety announcement regarding GBCAs and the risk of accumulated deposits in the brain following repeated use. Whilst GBCAs are being investigated, they can still be administered but healthcare professionals have been advised to limit the use of GBCA to situations in which contrast is deemed absolutely necessary.This has opened the door to the novelty of using perfluorocarbon (19F) being incorporated inside smart nanoparticles, which can offer unique quantitative signatures for molecular MRI with no competing background signal.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinatore
62032 Camerino
Italia