Table 1.

Potential MRI contrast agents.

MRI Agent Core Composition	NPs Size/Shape	Type of Contrast Agent	Vector (Targeting Agent)	Application Test	Reference
Fe3O4-Au	25 nm octahedral-shaped	T2	EPR, passive	in vitro (4T1 cancer cell line); in vivo (breast cancer model)	[27]
Fe3O4-Au mixed	Au 2 nm; Fe3O4 15 nm	T2	EPR, passive	in vivo (glioblastoma)	[28]
MIONPs	20 nm	T2	HER2 single-chain antibody	in vitro (NCI-N87 human gastric cancer cells and human pancreatic cancer cells SUIT2); in vivo (pancreatic cancer)	[29]
MIONPs		T2	BCZM	in vivo (breast cancer cells transfected with the VEGF-165 isoform)	[30]
Au coated Fe3O4	46 nm	T2	C225	in vitro and in vivo (human glioma)	[31]
Au coated Fe3O4	50 nm	T2	Prostate stem cell antigen antibody	in vivo (prostate tumors)	[32]
MIONPs		T2	anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody	in vivo (lungs tumor)	[33]
Fe3O4	22 nm	T2	arginine-glycine-asparticacid-tumornecrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand	in vivo (colorectal cancer)	[34]
Fe3O4/mesoporous silica-Au	16 nm	T1 and T2	peptide cyclo[Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Lys]	in vivo (fibro-sarcoma)	[35]
MIONPs	10 nm	T2	glypican-3 (GPC3)-specific aptamer (AP613-1)	in vitro and in vivo (liver cancer)	[37]
Fe3O4-Au	Fe3O4 2 nm Fe3O4-Au 7 nm	T1 and T2	tumor homing peptide (LyP-1)	in vitro and in vivo (hepatocellular carcinoma)	[38]
MIONPS		T2	folic acid	in vivo (lungs cancer)	[39]
MIONPS	1–3 nm	T1	-	in vivo (mice)	[42]
Co1−xMnxFe2O4	10–50 nm	T2	-	in vivo (mice)	[45]