Figure 4.

Schematic illustration of the polymer micelle composite system of surface-engineered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) for imaging and therapy application. (a) Clinically approved or in clinical test SPION with biocompatible coatings and iron oxide cores; for each kind of coating material, commercial products are listed aside. (b) Amphiphilic polymers to form a micelle structure with hydrophilic shell and hydrophobic core. INOPs and hydrophobic drugs are packed into the core, targeting ligands can be coupled onto the hydrophilic surface. Reproduced from “Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for MR imaging and therapy: design considerations and clinical applications”, with permission from Elsevier, 2014.