Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most promising clinical imaging techniques in cancer diagnosis due to its high spatial resolution and non-invasive feature. Negative contrast agents such as superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with large specific surface area and low cytotoxicity are able to shorten the transvers relaxation time  T₂, resulting in the darkening of the magnetic resonance images. Meanwhile, over the past decades, polymeric drug delivery systems have shown promising potential applications in cancer therapy. And smart polymer vesicles that can respond to physical or chemical stimuli exhibit great potential in controlled release of encapsulated drugs. Moreover, they may be employed as an ideal delivery vehicle of SPIONs to solve the problems of stability and water solubility. Herein, we present new biodegradable SPIONs-decorated polymer vesicles for enhanced MRI and anticancer drug delivery. The water-dispersible, biodegradable, biocompatible, and low cytotoxic vesicles decorated SPIONs were based on PEO- b-PCL- b-PAA triblock copolymer for  T₂-weighted enhanced MRI and anticancer drug delivery.

文章链接：Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 2016, 12, 570.